Empire of the Sun
by strikeasiri
Summary: The agents are sent to the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu for a possible Warehouse emergency. (I suck at summaries)
1. Chapter 1

Title: Empire of the Sun

Rating: R just in case (K+)

Summary: The agents are sent to the ancient ruins of Machu Pichu for a possible Warehouse emergency. (I suck at summaries)

Pairings: Myka/H.G.

Disclaimer 1: Warehouse 13 and characters are not mine, just playing around with them.

Disclaimer 2: To anyone who is from Peru, I apologize for making some stuff up. I did do some researchn but for story purposes, I had to use my imagination :) I've been there once a few years ago and completely fell in love with the country.

Disclaimer 3: First fan fic so any feedback and constructive critcism will be greatly appreciated.

Author's note: The events here take place aprox. one year after Helena joins the Warehouse and assume she decided not to go along with the whole blowing up the world incident. So, no Steve Jinks (for now).

Claudia never thought she could be this happy. She never thought she would feel this at peace, but as she sat on the couch watching Pete and Myka playfully bicker over what movie to watch, Artie behind them, hunched over his laptop grumbling at them to keep it down and Leena getting up from the armchair to her left - smiling mischievously while she snatched the control from Myka's hand and changing the channel to some boring Avant guard film she'd been rambling on about all day- Claudia felt like she had finally found a home. The young redhead basked in the moment, almost giddy with the sentiment. It seemed funny to her, how a moment so trivial could open up a floodgate of emotions. Death, loneliness, sadness, this is what she had known, what she had lived with for so long that this wonderful feeling had practically blindsided her.

She had been working at the Warehouse for two years now and the danger and wonder of it all had been keeping her busy and she really never questioned if she was happy or not. It was just something you never asked yourself when you lived the life she had. You just tried to survive, from one day to the next. But at times like these, when she was with her family, doing something which most would consider inconsequential, she truly thought of herself as blessed. And she knew that every single heartache and disappointment she had ever experienced had all been worth it because it had gotten her here.

"Why so introspective, my dear? It isn't like you." A very distinct and eloquent British voice inquired softly beside her. A voice that not so long ago had caused her to break quite a few plates, it had made her so nervous.

Claudia idly turned her head to her left to see Helena leaning her elbows against the back of the sofa, watching in fascination - as she always did - the images displaying on the flat screen television. She had obviously just gotten out of the shower. Her hair was wet and she was wearing a green tank top and loose fitting jogging pants. Even though her eyes were fixed on the screen ahead of her, the warehouse tech could tell the time traveler was patiently waiting for an answer.

'Oh crap, busted having a moment…great' Claudia thought as she inwardly rolled her eyes at herself.

"Um, you know, just chilling…it's been a long week" She said casually, not wanting to sound like a total spaz in front of her mentor.

"Mhmm..." Helena breathed out lazily, giving her a knowing sidelong look. "You know it's funny, how utterly at peace one can feel when they're doing nothing out of the ordinary, surrounded by the ones they cherish most" She finished as her attention swept over her friends. Finally she turned towards the younger woman and gave her a crooked smile, nodding almost imperceptibly. Surprised at Helena's rare demonstration of her feelings, Claudia's eyes widened and all she could think to do was nod back, a quiet understanding passing between them in those few moments. Claudia realized right then that she and the hundred and fifty year old woman had more in common than she ever thought possible. It made her feel grateful and also a little sad for the dark eyed woman for some reason.

The moment was suddenly broken when Helena unexpectedly reached out and grabbed the control from Leena,

"Hey!" The B&B proprietor protested as H.G. gracefully swung herself over the sofa and landed on the floor between Claudia and Myka's legs.

"Yes, it is quite agreeable…even though they do make us suffer through their atrocious tastes in movies" She remarked, apparently to no one in particular.

"Amen to that" Claudia chimed in.

"Has no one any respect for anything anymore? I was watching that" Leena continued to complain half heartedly as she stuffed her mouth full of popcorn, her face set in a childish pout.

"'You snooze you lose¨ I believe is how the saying goes, no?" Helena shot back, smiling wickedly at the curly haired woman.

"Guys, guys we have got to figure out a mature and reasonable way to pick out movies or we're going to end up killing each other" Myka's calm and collected voice proposed. "- I'll give you my Butter Finger for the remote" She quickly added, dangling the chocolate bar in front of the dark haired agent.

"Accepted" Without looking at Myka, Helena did not miss a beat, handing the younger agent the control as Myka unceremoniously dropped the chocolate bar on the older woman's lap.

"Not fair" Pete protested beside Myka on the couch "Is there any left?" He asked Myka hopefully.

This earned him an incredulous look from his partner. "Pete…you ate all six Butter Fingers already?"

"Pfff..no, you just gave the last one to grandma over there" he scoffed, crossing his arms and staring at the woman on the floor as she opened the wrapping and bit into the chocolate giving an exaggerated moan of delight as she looked at the sulking agent with a deadpan stare.

"I must say, these are actually quite good" The inventor remarked as gracefully as ever, despite her mouth full of chocolate.

Claudia felt Myka squirm in her seat next to her and looked at the older agent. She had her eyes fixed on the inventor with a strange look on her face but before she could make anything of it, she cleared her throat and turned her attention back to the screen.

"Okay then, today we're watchiiiing,…." Myka scrolled down the DVR list and settled on one "Oh! 'Bicycle Thieves', I haven't seen this one in years" She mused as she made herself more comfortable in her seat.

….

Claudia woke to the sound of quiet snoring coming from somewhere. As she turned, she saw Leena curled up in the armchair, eyes peacefully closed in sleep. She had dropped the bowl of popcorn at some point and now kernels lay strewn all over the floor. Moving her head from side to side she tried to work all the kinks out of her neck.

'This is the last time Myka picks out a movie on movie night' she silently vowed to herself.

She turned to her right and, resting her temple on her hand, quietly contemplated the scene before her. Helena, who was still leaning against the couch on the floor, had fallen asleep, her head now resting on Myka's thigh. The younger agent was very much awake though and she was busying herself by gently stroking the inventor's dark hair, the movie completely forgotten. Claudia's heart ached as she saw the look the green-eyed agent was giving H.G. It was wistful and sad and Claudia had been seeing it more often than not lately whenever Myka directed her gaze at the enigmatic time traveler. Myka's eyes suddenly looked up to meet hers. Claudia could tell her friend was not expecting to be caught in her contemplation of the older woman and she was now looking around the room, clearly trying to think of something to say. Claudia simply stretched out her arm across the back of the couch and offered her hand to the agent. Myka's eyes fell to the outstretched hand and when she looked up, they were swimming with unshed tears. She ran her fingers one more time through Helena's dark tresses, placing a strand of it behind her left ear before reaching up and taking a hold of her friend's forearm, giving it a grateful squeeze.

"I know" Claudia mouthed, trying to convey as much support and love she could with her eyes. "It'll be okay" she finally whispered as she returned her friend's squeeze.

Myka shook her head, looking down at the sleeping woman. "I don't think so Claud" she replied meekly.

Claudia had come to notice a while back her friend's feelings for the time traveler. The question she had been asking herself ever since was if the green-eyed agent had figured out she harbored these feelings for H.G. as well. Tonight she finally got her answer. She also knew Myka well enough to know that she kept a wall around her heart ever since Sam's death, maybe even before then and having developed feelings for the usually stoic and withdrawn time traveler couldn't be easy for her. The question was if H.G. reciprocated these feelings at all. Claudia thought back to their last big case and mentally slapped herself when she remembered Myka's mood during that whole trip and connected the dots as to why. Apparently, H.G. did not feel the same way.

….

_Two Weeks Earlier_

_"There! Snagged, bagged and tagged-now, can we please get out of this hell hole?" Claudia's desperate voice rang out in the quiet of the barren field where the Warehouse agents had ended up during their latest mission. They had traveled to Robstown, Texas to procure the original mask of Thespis, dated back over twenty five hundred years. It had the ability to change the person wearing it into whomever they wanted, albeit for no more than a few hours at a time. Safe to say that the fifteen year-old who had unwittingly come across it had wreaked havoc on the small city and had come up with infinite ways to exasperate Claudia once their investigation had lead them to him._

_Claudia was stressed, tired and above all bored of the deserted back roads and bland restaurant food they had submitted themselves to while chasing after Eric, the psychotic boy from hell._

_"Aww Claud, What's wrong? Sad Justin Timberlake won't be asking you for anymore make out sessions?" Pete teased as he deposited the bag with the artifact in the trunk of their car._

_"I was drugged I tell you!" Claudia retorted almost desperately as she stomped her way over to Pete and slammed the trunk door with more force than necessary. "Why won't anyone believe me?" She asked with exasperation as she looked up at the night sky, arms stretched out as if waiting for an answer from the stars._

_"Um, Claud?…we've been inside your room...we've seen the posters, remember?." Myka staged whispered as she walked by her young friend, bumping her hip against the shorter woman as she did so._

_Thanks to the car's lights, Myka and Pete had a clear view of Claudia's full-blown blush as she stared at them while awkwardly scratching the back of her neck._

_"Oh yeah, I forgot about that" She supplied lamely._

_Myka rolled her eyes good-naturedly as Pete started – once again – to sing "Señorita" while he made his way to the driver's seat to get his Farnsworth and touch base with Artie._

_Claudia was about to direct some choice words at her older friend but was interrupted by the sound of an approaching car._

_"Oh great" Myka mumbled as she turned her back to the car and headed over to join Pete who was now talking to Artie._

_"You know, I believe it is still considered rude not to ring someone back when they're trying to reach you" Helena mused as she gracefully got out of the passenger seat of the recently parked car. She had a GPS in hand, obviously having used it to locate their whereabouts._

_"Well, we've been busy searching for -" Claudia stopped herself from revealing anything else as she saw the lithe blonde stepping out of the driver's side._

_Detective Angela Burns was admittedly an attractive woman. With long blonde hair and intelligent blue eyes, a small smile almost always plastered on her delicate face; she always seemed to be in on a joke everyone else was not privy to. Pete had fallen all over himself trying to impress the young detective when they had first met. But, Burns had immediately hit it off with H.G. and they had been practically inseparable all throughout the case._

_She had been accompanying them on their search for Eric ever since they had arrived a little over a week ago. With the help of the mask, the young boy had efficiently stolen an important sum of money from different banks all across the city, turning the investigation into a full-blown manhunt._

_The longing looks and obvious flirting between the two women had only made their trip even more insufferable. Claudia had nothing against getting a little action on the side during an investigation but Myka had been in a mood from hell ever since the appearance of the young detective._

_"Well, we have good news…" Angela chimed in, noticing Claudia's reluctance to speak in front of her "-we found Eric" she said as she patted the roof of the car with her hand, flashing a proud, playful smile. Finally having finished with their conversation with Artie, Myka and Pete had no choice but to walk over to the three women, peering inside the detective's vehicle as they did so. Sure enough, the young boy sat brooding in the back seat, arms handcuffed to his back._

_"Did he say how he managed to steal all that money?" Pete tentatively asked, wanting to gouge how much the detective now knew about the real reason they were there._

_"Says he doesn't remember a thing" Angela answered, "And, I can't believe I'm saying this but, I actually believe him. And without being able to prove how he did it…. and him being underage and all….he'll be out in a week." She finished with a sigh, raking her hair with her left hand in distress._

_"I'm sure it was him. I just-how the hell did he do it?" Angela pondered in frustration._

_After an awkward silence, in which Pete cleared his throat, Claudia stared in exaggerated fascination at a dent on the hood of the detective's car and Myka raised a nervous eyebrow at a smiling Helena, the inventor broke the silence by clasping her hands together and exclaiming,_

_"Bloody hell if we know but, I'm sure you'll figure it out Detective...you've proven yourself to be quite…thorough after all" She finished with a devilish smile as she walked over to her new friend. Claudia and Pete smirked at the inventor's remark, while Myka rolled her eyes in annoyance, placing her hands on her hips and staring up at the sky._

_"Wait, wha—so, that's it? You're all leaving?" Angela questioned as the implication of Helena's words sank in._

_"Yeah, well…we were sent here to help catch the 'bad guy'" Pete chimed in as he pointed to the boy mouthing obscenities at Claudia from inside the car. "And there he is, 'Dr. Evil'…the rest is up to the D.A." He explained lamely._

_Without the artifact, the boy was hardly a threat and the fact that the mask had apparently wiped his memory as well, gave them no reason to stay. With the artifact safely stowed away in the car, the last step was to take it back to Artie and the Warehouse._

_"We just talked to our supervisor…we leave at 9 tomorrow morning" Myka supplied pointedly, her eyes trying to avoid the two women._

_"Oh well, um I guess this is goodbye then" The usually confident detective made the statement sound more like a question as she looked up at the dark eyed woman next to her._

_Myka didn't wait for Helena's response, hugging herself against the cold she stated, "I'm freezing, I'll wait for you guys in the car…goodbye Detective Burns, thank you for all your help" She nodded briskly at the blonde and headed to the car, ignoring the detective's farewell._

_Claudia quickly thanked the detective and hurried after her friend, opening the back door of the car and jumping in._

_"Hey Myka, are you okay? You've been acting all bat shi—" For the umpteenth time that night, her words were stopped in her throat, this time by Myka's death stare which was now being directed at her. She cleared her throat and continued "—you haven't been yourself for the past few days." She would try a more delicate tactic she decided._

_Myka took a calming breath before speaking "I'm fine Claudia, it's just this damn place…I just want to get the hell out of here and go home". She admitted with a tired sigh as she stared unseeing at the glove compartment in front of her._

_Not convinced with her friend's response but, not wanting to pressure her into having a conversation she wasn't ready for, the young inventor agreed "I hear ya sista…I'll go get Pete and H.G. so we can blow this joint" She joked, happy to see she had elicited a sincere smile from Myka. The younger woman was just making her way out of the car when the driver's side door opened. Pete plunked himself in the seat and without preamble started the car._

_"Wha-wait—what about Helena?" Myka asked her partner, turning around in her seat to see where the other woman had gone to._

_Pete just stared at the steering wheel, an awestricken look on his face._

_"Pete? What is it?" Myka asked, worry seeping into her voice._

_"H.G.- That woman-she's, she's a freakin'… genius!" he stated excitedly._

_"What do you mean?" Myka asked with a forlorn tone to her voice._

_"I don't know how she does it, but talk about Snagging, Bagging and Tagging...I knew she was smart…but how she gets people like Burns to fall all over her…it's, it's a beautiful thing guys" He quipped, wiping at a non existing tear from his left eye. Claudia couldn't believe it, but Pete was actually proud of the former Warehouse Twelve agent. This was somewhat surprising, considering he had loathed her not so long ago. Claudia turned to see Myka taking several deep breaths and clenching her jaw tightly._

_"Pete …can we just go home?" Claudia asked wearily, all energy leaving her body as she took a breath and settled back into the car seat._

That had just been one of several episodes where Helena had effortlessly seduced somebody during their travels. She would also tend to disappear for days on end on the few occasions when there was little activity in the Warehouse. No one really knew where she went but in the end, it didn't really matter where she disappeared to. Every time she left, Claudia could tell Myka took it to heart. Sometimes H.G. would just retreat into herself and no one, not even Myka, could tear down the walls she had built. She would be sullen and distracted one day, and then she would disappear, only to come back at some point, refreshed and as engaging as ever. Claudia knew this was most likely the reason the green-eyed agent suffered most; Helena didn't completely trust her friends, she didn't completely trust her.

Myka gave the younger woman's arm one final squeeze before letting go to rub her tired eyes and stretch out on the couch, the movement causing Helena –ever the light sleeper - to awaken.

"What a fascinating movie" she yawned out as she stretched her arms over her head.

"Well, I think that was a bit too much excitement for one night…I'll be off to bed then" She stated as she stood from the floor, wiping her jogging pants clean of any imaginary crumbs she had on them.

"Do you need any help getting baby Pete to bed?" She playfully inquired as she stared at the grown man sprawled out on the couch to Myka's right.

Pete was dead to the world, his head leaning against the back of the couch, his mouth almost completely open and a small strand of saliva running down his chin. Claudia scrunched up her nose at the sight and smiled to herself.

"How positively comely, is he not?" H.G. was nothing if not British. Her sarcasm coupled with Pete's current state made Myka burst into laughter. Claudia rolled her eyes as she smiled at her friend 'Oh yeah, she's gots it bad' She mused to herself as she watched the two women playfully wake Pete and Leena up, helping their groggy friends up the stairs after saying their goodnights to Claudia.

Claudia got up and stretched out her unused muscles. She picked up the remote from the couch as she watched the final scene play out before her. With a sigh she turned off the television.

"Wha-what? Is the movie over already?" Artie's surprised voice startled her. She turned around to find him still sitting on the table behind the couch, laptop opened in front of him. He had been so engrossed in his work that he had missed everything.

"Artie, don't you ever stop and smell the roses man?" Claudia contemplated.

"Of course, what do you think I've been doing?" He countered back, somehow offended by the notion that he didn't have a life outside the Warehouse.

Claudia smiled indulgently at him and sat back down on the couch "Come on old man" She said as she patted the place Myka had previously been occupying. "I've been meaning to watch 'Dawn of the Dead' for some time now and I think you're the perfect movie buddy for it".

Artie eyed the young agent with some mistrust. She simply smiled with exaggerated sweetness and waited patiently. Defeated, he puffed out an irritated breath and closed his laptop, picking it up to move it to the couch.

"Uh-uh, no!…You'll need your full attention to properly appreciate this work of art" She warned, pointing at the table, silently demanding he leave his work for later.

Artie grunted but acquiesced "You sure I'm going to like this 'Dawn of the Dead'?" he asked incredulously as he sat beside the young tech.

Claudia took a moment to ponder, dramatically tapping her chin with her index finger as she looked up at the ceiling. After a few seconds, she slowly turned to him and smiled,

"Yeah, you'll love it. I mean, who doesn't love zombies?" She asked confidently.

"Zombies? You can't possibly be serious." He grumbled as he leaned against the couch and made himself more comfortable.

"Quit the act old man, you know you love 'em" Claudia smiled as she searched for the movie.

Artie grumbled something unintelligible back and gave the redhead a sour look for appearances sake but, as he turned to watch the screen, a small, satisfied smile appeared on his face.

Myka sat on the edge of her bed staring into space, elbows resting on her knees, silently fighting a losing battle with herself. She could hear Helena next door, clearly in the middle of a nightmare. This was not the first time she had heard the muffled cries through her wall. Ever since the inventor had been reinstated into the Warehouse almost a year before, nights like these had been numerous to say the least. At first she had tried to talk to the older woman about the nightmares, knowing that she was probably the only one who at least tried to make her feel welcomed. She had wanted to make her feel as much at home as possible. After all, she was in a new world, living with new people who either ignored her or put up with her because they felt they had no chose.

Pete had grudgingly accepted her into their team more for Myka's sake than anything else and it was obvious that Claudia had not trusted the woman as far as she could throw her and well, Artie simply hadn't even stood the sight of her. Leena was the only one who had appeared to not have any ill will towards the older woman, but even she had kept her distance in the beginning, as If she were making her mind up about Helena's place in their group and in the Warehouse.

Myka had felt, almost from the beginning, a certain pull towards the inventor. If this had stemmed from a fascination at actually getting to meet one of her childhood heroes or because H.G. Wells, in the flesh, was more captivating, funny and charming than Myka could have ever imagined the author being, she did not know. And in the end, it did not matter. Out of nowhere, it had seemed to her, she had started to care about this woman more than she dared delve into.

So when she approached her fast becoming friend offering to talk about her nightmares she had felt surprisingly hurt when the older agent brushed the subject off in true H.G. fashion, with a quick quip and a cavalier smile. The situation did not improve despite Helena's assurance that she was in fact fine. And one night, the younger agent had had enough of it and had decided to do something about it.

….

_Six Months Eariler_

_Myka let out a frustrated groan from under the pillow covering her face. She was practically suffocating herself with it in an attempt to muffle out the faint cries coming from next door. She turned from one side to the other in exasperation until she couldn't take it anymore. With another long, exacerbated groan, she threw the pillow on the floor and stood, anger simmering just beneath her tired frame._

_"'I'm Fine' my ass" she muttered with indignation as she opened her door and made her way to H.G's bedroom. She had tried not to pry into Helena's personal life for the last few months, knowing how guarded with her feelings the woman was. She had wanted to give Helena her space, waiting patiently for the older woman to seek her out and confide in her or at least in someone, but it had been to no avail. Tonight was the last straw, she would wake Helena up and at least try to make her see she needed to find someone to trust and purge herself of her ghosts._

_She carefully opened the door to the sleeping woman's room, peering inside to see the inventor tossing and turning in bed, a small helpless whimper escaping her lips. Upon hearing the sound, all traces of anger fled the younger agent and she hurried into the room, wanting to make sure Helena was all right._

_She cautiously sat on the side of the bed, her right hand hovering over the restless woman's shoulder. Myka wanted to do something to calm her friend but she did not want to upset her anymore than she already was. This left the young agent unsure of how to go about it._

_"Nooo, stop, please!" a cry was wrenched from H.G.'s throat. Myka's heart broke for her then and she quickly made up her mind. She knelt on the bed and leaned over the older woman._

_"Helena, shhh, it's okay…it's okay…it's just a bad dream" She cooed soothingly as she softly stroked the other woman's face and hair._

_"Please…" The sleeping woman softly pleaded._

_"No one is going to hurt you, you're safe here…shhh" Myka whispered._

_"Myka?" A shaky voice whispered softly after a few seconds. When the agent pulled back she saw two dark tear stained eyes looking back at her with a mix of confusion and something Myka had never seen in the other woman's gaze before. It was so very vulnerable and hopeful at the same time, a stark contrast to the confident and usually cocky look the older woman wore with such ease._

_Myka found herself suddenly tongue-tied and a bit bashful, all the scolding words vanishing into thin air._

_"I-I-you- you were having a—" but the words were stilled by soft fingers on her lips. Myka's eyes widened as she saw the dark eyed woman slowly lift her upper body using her right arm to support her weight, all the while gazing at her with awe filled eyes. Helena deliberately, and delicately traced her fingers over the younger women's lips. Myka's heart began to beat feverishly and her breath had become quick and heavy. She kept her eyes fixed on those of the other woman's; not wanting to break whatever spell had descended over them. All too quickly, Helena abruptly dropped her hand from her face and closed her eyes in consternation, raking a hand through tasseled hair and slowly shaking her head from side to side as if trying to ward something off._

_Myka's eyes turned worried and she leaned over placing a supportive hand on her friend's shoulder. She opened her mouth to ask her what was wrong but she was once again silenced, this time by soft lips capturing her own. It appeared that whatever demons the time traveler had been fighting with had been kept at bay, at least for the time being. The kiss was hungry and desperate and not at all what the younger woman had imagined her first kiss with the writer would be like – not that she would ever admit to herself she imagined such things – but to her it was perfect just the same._

_She felt a hand slide through her unruly hair and gasped sharply when she felt a soft tongue demand entrance to her mouth. Myka was powerless to deny the older woman anything at this point, so swept up in the feel and smell of her. As Helena's tongue found residence within her mouth, Myka pushed her back onto the bed and rested her upper body against the other woman's who in turn moaned her approval. The kiss led way to frantic groping and soon Myka found herself pinned to the bed, Helena's lithe body covering her own, both of them gasping for breath. As Helena moved from the younger woman's mouth to her neck and took up residence on her rapidly beating pulse point, Myka's hips began to move of their own accord. At this, Helena gave a light growl, causing the hairs on the younger women's arm to stand on end. The older woman bit down on her neck while her own hips began to match the rhythm the woman beneath her made and gently, sucked and licked the spot where she had left soft bite marks._

_The woman was officially driving Myka crazy with need. Myka moved her hand down to the older agent's backside and grabbed on to it, pushing her more firmly against her pelvis. Both women moaned in unison and Helena moved her face so that they were now looking at each other. While their hips continued to move rhythmically, they stared into the each other's eyes, their foreheads and noses gently touching._

_The look Helena was giving her took the other woman's breath away and she slowly craned her neck upwards to place a soft kiss on the writer's semi-parted lips, Helena reciprocating in kind. Where their previous kisses had been hard, wet and desperate this one was filled with tenderness and longing. It was just as powerful but it somehow felt more dangerous. Helena pulled back and once again stared at the woman under her. Myka's hand slowly made its way to the writer's face and gently pushed back a strand of black hair, tucking it behind her right ear as Helena closed her eyes and leaned into the touch._

_"Helena…" She whispered lovingly, not quite sure what she wanted to say but wanting to say something, anything to make this moment real. At the sound of her name, the older woman took a shuddering breath and suddenly pushed herself off the Warehouse agent._

_"I'm, I'm so dreadfully sorry Myka, that-this..I didn't mean for this to happen" She stumbled over her words as she hurriedly got out of bed. Her eyes were searching the room frantically, looking at anything but at the woman lying on her bed._

_"He-Helena, look at me" Myka's heart had made it's way to her throat. She had never seen her friend shut down so quickly and it hurt that she was looking like she wanted to be anywhere else but there with her._

_Helena took another long breath and once more raked her hand through her tousled hair before looking back at Myka. The person staring at the younger woman was a complete stranger to her. A mask had settled over her features and now she bore a neutral if somewhat irritated demeanor._

_"This was not supposed to happen Myka, I'm sorry…I-J was having a bad dream, and you woke me and – and I was just so grateful it had all been in my head and that you were here with me…I –I wasn't thinking properly" She finished. Although it seemed she was having trouble phrasing her words, they came out even and rough. Her eyes impassive as she looked down at the other woman who was now resting her back against the headboard, giving the other woman her own look of disbelief._

_"You weren't thinking properly?" Myka repeated the words, running them through her mind, trying to absorb them, analyze them and contrast them against the woman who had, only a few short minutes ago, been looking at her like she was some irreplaceable treasure. With those words Myka started to doubt everything she had been so sure of the second her lips had met the writer's._

_She had read too much into the moment, and now all she felt was heartache and embarrassment. If Helena had been in fact acting without thinking, in the throes of some horrible nightmare or memory…then, what was her excuse?_

_Myka arched an eyebrow and stared fixedly at some spot on the wall in front of her, embarrassment giving way all too easily to anger. She shook her head to clear it of the cobwebs the last few minutes had embedded in her mind._

_She looked up at H.G., fixing her with a withering stare. "Fine", She stated simply as she got out of the bed._

_Helena regretted her words instantly and tried to stop the younger woman "Myka, wait…let us talk about this" She tried to persuade the other woman, not wanting things to end this way._

_"Oh, now she wants to talk" Myka professed to the room with a humorless laugh "After-after months of me worrying about you and asking you if you were alright…you know what H.G.? you are not alright…this right here.-" Myka flailed her hands above the bed separating them, the feel of the other woman's kisses still singeing her lips "—proves you're not okay. You weren't thinking properly?...fine! Then get help and start to." Myka finished as she turned and left the other woman standing, a grief stricken look on her face._

Myka raked both her hands through unruly hair, thinking back to that night, the night when she had given up trying to fool herself into thinking Helena was just a close friend to her. She thought it ironic that it was that same night she also came to realize that the older woman did not return those feelings. It was for the best, she had decided many months ago.

After their encounter, they had gradually come to an understanding and she had been relieved to see that their bond still held in tact. She could never stay truly mad at her friend. She brought too much joy and made her life more worthwhile than she ever thought possible. It had only taken one afternoon of H.G. swooping in, giving her a crooked smile and a chagrined look, asking her for help personalizing a new digital camera she had bought online with Claudia's guidance and she had been forgiven. Just like that.

Of course, Myka could see through the act. Helena had a brilliant mind; by all accounts she was a genius and even though she was unaccustomed to most everything that surrounded her in this century, her curious brain and passion for technology left little she couldn't puzzle out on her own.

Myka remembered having been looking down at the camera, trying to find a particular option in the menu when Helena had nonchalantly confessed to her she was seeing a therapist.

"- or as you Americans like to call them, a 'shrink'" she had finished, as she extricated the camera from the young woman's hands and started to play with it, unable to look at her for some reason. That had been the end of the matter as far as Helena was concerned and the subject was never brought up again, although Myka along with the rest of the Warehouse employees were well aware Helena continued seeing the therapist Mrs. Frederic had appointed her.

Tired of her scattered thoughts, and unable to stand Helena's tortured dreams, Myka stood and left her room. A few minutes later, she found herself in the Bed and Breakfast's porch, staring out into the placid night, cursing herself for forgetting to put on something warmer before heading outside. She was startled out of her musings when she felt a light quilt being gently placed over her shoulders. Looking up, she was met with Leena's warm smile.

"Mmm...thank you " she said as she wrapped the woolen material around herself and enjoyed its warmth. When she turned back around to look at her friend, she was met with a bag of twizzlers dangling a few inches away from her face.

"Marry me?" she quipped as she gratefully accepted the midnight snack. Leena chuckled and leaned her head against the white column next to her, enjoying the other woman's companionable silence.

"So, you couldn't sleep either, huh?" the agent asked the shorter woman through a mouthful of twizzler.

Leena turned her eyes towards the other woman and then stared back meaningfully at the house. With a sigh, "Yeap"

"Want to talk about it?" The agent questioned in concern.

Leena was about to decline but thought better of it…tonight had been a rough night and she was grateful to have a friend with her, offering to hear her out. She was going to do herself a favor for once and take her up on her offer.

After a moment's pause she began, "All of us in the house, living together…I've truly never been happier, but we're all here for a reason…our pasts haven't been…easy" she stumbled over the last word, wanting to be as tactful as possible.

"Hm, that's one way of putting it" Myka jibed with a wan smile.

Leena smiled back at her friend and grabbed a twizzler from the bag Myka was offering before continuing.

"Whatever we've faced in the past, we haven't let it destroy us….we're still here. Most people would be running for the hills if they ever had to face what we face every day. I was born with a gift, at least now I think of it as such…not so much before. When we're together…most of the time, our auras…there are no words to describe it, Myka…all I can say is…we just belong together, you know?"

The young agent simply stared meaningfully at the proprietor, knowing that what was being said was the truth, she didn't need to see auras to know that together they all had something special between them. "But…" she urged Leena.

"But…" The other woman huffed…"sometimes, it can all get to be a bit too much…there's love and hope and joy in all of us…but there is also a lot of anger, resentment and hurt…quite a bit of it actually. Some nights, I can't think straight, there's so much of it." She finished as she once again leaned her head against the column, her eyes directed at the darkness before them.

Myka's thoughts went immediately to H.G. Had her nightmares also kept Leena up?

Before she could even think to ask, her friend one-upped her.

"No, it isn't just H.G." She stated with a cryptic smile.

"Wha-how did you-"

"Your aura changes color whenever you think of her…it's kind of cute actually" Her friend interrupted, laughing at Myka's indignant face and faint blush.

"Jesus, does everyone know?" She hissed indignantly in a low voice. It appeared she had been the last one to find out about her feelings for the time traveler. Was she really that obvious? She inwardly cringed at the thought of H.G. reading her like an open book. She didn't like to feel exposed and she most certainly didn't like her unrequited crush to be privy to her feelings. Shoving those thoughts aside for later wallowing, she turned back to her friend and in a more serious tone asked, "Do you think we'll ever let you sleep?".

Leena took a moment to ponder the question before replying

"Will your pain and anger ever get better you mean?" She stripped down Myka's question to what it really was. "I don't know Myka…you probably know better than most that those feelings never truly go away. They might get better….or they can get worse…We have to take everything as it comes, one day at a time. What I do know is that I truly sleep a whole lot better with all of you around then I ever had before" She admitted with a tender smile directed at her friend trying to assuage her worries; worries that were mostly directed at a certain Nineteenth century inventor. Myka threaded her arm through Leena's and linked their elbows, while she rested her head atop of the shorter woman's, both staring at the darkness before them.

"You must have been one scary insomniac before we got here then" She joked, knowing for a fact that Leena, like most all of them, wasn't one for sleeping.

The shorter woman smiled and shrugged in self-awareness.

After several long moments of peaceful silence, Leena looked at the agent and started to study her friend's profile. Without thinking, but sensing this was the time to address something she had been keeping to herself for some time now, she remarked

"H.G...when she first got to the Warehouse, it was obvious she was very confused and scared and above all angry. Her aura was something I had never seen before. I didn't know what to make of it; I was scared for her - for all of us to tell you the truth. I didn't say anything at the time because I could tell that whatever was going on inside her, she was trying to fight it. I could tell it was a constant battle….I think it still is but, I believe she's better. Her aura has calmed somewhat and it isn't as scary as it used to be and you know what?...I think that a lot of that has to do with you" She finished, trying to give hope to her friend. She could see how much Myka worried about the older woman.

Myka looked away almost timidly and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I think we've all contributed…I think-I _hope_" she corrected, "-she feels she has a family here, that she belongs with us". She had known H.G. struggled with her past and with adapting to her present but, she had never feared her and it surprised her that Leena had but, she was glad that the inn keeper had just reaffirmed her belief that Helena was doing at least a little better than when she had first arrived.

Before Leena could reply to the comment, the kitchen lights were turned on and unexpected movement could be heard from inside. They looked at each other questioningly before turning around and heading back into the house. There, they were met with Artie and the remainder of the agents. A groggy Pete was standing up, leaning against the far wall, obviously fighting back sleep and losing, Claudia was sitting at the kitchen table, her face hidden away in the crook of her arm and H.G. was next to her, her hand supporting her chin, a bored expression on her face. Meanwhile, Artie was setting up his laptop and as he looked up at the two women walking into the house, Myka could see he was clearly flustered about something.

"Where have you two been?" He asked a little annoyed "- never mind, it doesn't matter. Sit,sit" he continued quickly, clearly not interested in the women's whereabouts. Myka and Leena shared uneasy looks before they each took a seat.

"Okay, can you please tell us why you've called us down here at this ungodly hour?" Came Claudia's muffled whine, her face still buried within the comforts of her arm.

The custodian opened his laptop and started to type, completely ignoring the young woman's question and the expectant looks coming from the rest of the inn's occupants.

While he typed, Helena looked over at Myka who had taken a seat in front of her and rolled her eyes at the older man's typical behavior, eliciting a small smile from the agent. Helena returned a knowing smirk and stood.

"Whe-where do you think you're going?" Artie questioned, finally looking up from whatever had him so enthralled.

"Well, if you simply must insist we sit here while you play with your little toy, I'm afraid I must insist on some tea...May I offer anyone a cup?" She asked, as she went about the kitchen, grabbing the kettle.

"Coffee for me, please"

"Coffee!"

"Me needs a cuppajoe"

Myka, Claudia and Pete blurted out simultaneously. Helena stood there for a few moments, her hand half way to opening the tap, staring at everyone in disbelief.

"Righty-ho then…coffee for everyone it is" she conceded.

Leena covered her mouth to hide her smile when she heard the author grumbling under her breath as she started to prepare the coffee.

A few minutes later, with everyone settled down and a much-appreciated cup of coffee in hand, Artie finally took off his glasses and worked the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb.

"It appears we have a potential Warehouse emergency people" He remarked with a frustrated tone to his voice.

At his statement, everyone sat up a little, trying to prepare themselves for whatever was to come.

"Mrs. Frederic has informed me that there has been a disturbing occurrence in the ancient city of Machu Picchu in Peru." He started informing the agents.

"What happened Artie?" Leena asked the custodian after a few seconds, her voice apparently snapping the older man back to reality.

"Ah yes, …it appears there has been an earthquake in the ancient ruins" He stated, shaking his head.

"Well, an earthquake isn't anything out of the ordinary, especially in Peru" Myka offered, trying to somehow calm the older man's agitated state.

"Yes, well this one in particular has opened a depression in the side of Hauyna Picchu, the mountain that rises over the city" He rebuked. "What you have to understand is that this-this city…it's still very much a mystery to us. We keep Warehouse contacts posted in the nearby city of Cusco so they can inform us of any irregular activity in the site. There is much we don't know about the city but there is a great chance that the visible ruins are only the tip of the iceberg…the treasures and-and not to mention artifacts that could be buried in their depths could have inconceivable powers…that's why this depression is worrying…if this earthquake was created with just this purpose in mind then we must conclude that there is something in that mountain that somebody wants and we have to get there before that something is found" He finished breathlessly.

"Whoa, whoa…so, let me get this straight, this Ma-Mach Picho—" Pete tried to order his thoughts out loud.

"Macchu Picchu" Myka automatically corrected while she took a sip from her cup giving him a small smile.

Pete gave her a vacant stare before setting his eyes on Artie once more and proceeding "-Macchu Picchu is a big ass cemetery for artifacts which may or may not have powers beyond anything we've ever seen and we're expected to go to this place – enter a hole in a mountain and find them?" He asked incredulously.

"Well, ah…yes, that about sums it up" The older man acquiesced.

"Well, alright then, glad we cleared that up-so when do we leave?" He asked, clasping his hands together and looking at the smaller man expectantly.

"Your flight to Lima leaves at 10 in the morning…here are the reports you can read on your way there. This file right here is on our contact who will meet you at the airport upon your arrival" He said as he stood and handed each agent two separate files.

When his gaze settled on a hopeful looking Claudia, he stared at her for a few seconds, moving from one foot to the other, clearly undecided about what to do with her.

"Pleaaaase…" She pleaded, reaching out pathetically with her right hand at the files Artie held.

"Fine" he conceded, handing them to her. "I'm guessing you're going to need all the help you can get" he stated to the other agents, "but, if your presence is needed here for any reason whatsoever, you are to march yourself back, no if's and's or but's, is that understood?" He finished, pointing a finger at the Warehouse apprentice before letting go of the files she was trying to yank from his grasp.

"Yes, yes, thankyouthankyouthankyou" Claudia agreed eagerly, getting up and doing one of her happy dances to which Pete joined in.

Helena laughed good-naturedly at her friends' excitement before stating with some enthusiasm herself, "So, we're off to Peru then…how positively thrilling"

Thanks for taking the time to read. As I said before, any comments and constructive criticism is welcomed.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Empire of the Sun: Chapter 2

Rating: R just in case (K+)

Summary: The agents are sent to the ancient ruins of Machu Pichu for a possible Warehouse emergency. (I suck at summaries)

Pairings: Myka/H.G.

Disclaimer 1: Warehouse 13 and characters are not mine, just playing around with them.

Disclaimer 2: To anyone who is from Peru, I apologize for making some stuff up. I did do some researchn but for story purposes, I had to use my imagination :) I've been there once a few years ago and completely fell in love with the country.

Disclaimer 3: First fan fic so any feedback and constructive critcism will be greatly appreciated.

Author's note: The events here take place aprox. one year after Helena joins the Warehouse and assume she decided not to go along with the whole blowing up the world incident. So, no Steve Jinks (for now).

I also forgot to mention, this hasn't been beta'd so sorry for any mistakes.

Chapter 2:

They arrived at Jorge Chavez International Airport at 7:30pm. The four agents exited the final gate only to be bombarded with the sights, sounds and smells of Lima, Peru. A considerable amount of people waited outside for friends and family members, taxi drivers shoved their way to the nearest unsuspecting tourist trying to convince them to ride in their cab, vendors were selling some kind of meat on a stick and sweet popcorn in questionable looking carts.

Helena inhaled deeply before exclaiming, "Ah! I did miss that smell" she remarked nostalgically as she guided her luggage towards the others who were searching for Roberto Amaru, the Warehouse contact that was supposed to be picking them up.

At the comment, Myka and Claudia turned to look at the older woman incredulously. The airport was located near the port of Callao and the only smells they could discern were a pungent fish and salt odor mixed with a mild sewage and garbage stench.

The inventor looked at them with an amused smile, "What? I am from Nineteenth century England, you know. What do you think it smelled like? Biscuits and tea?" she joked, as she headed along, catching up with Pete who was eyeing the carts selling food.

"Peter dear, I would ask myself where that meat comes from before putting it anywhere near my mouth" She warned as she came behind him and looked at the dark, dry meat skewered on a stick; slices of peppers and potatoes keeping it company. It did make for a pretty sight, she had to admit, but she wouldn't trust meat from a street cart in any place or era she thought to herself as she looked suspiciously at the stray dogs running around the streets.

"Don't be ridiculous, H.G. Smell It, smell it" He insisted as he grabbed the woman by the elbow and guided her to stand next to him, leaning his head down closer to the grill where the meat was being prepared and taking another deep breath. "How can anything that smells this good be bad? - Uh…Unoe, pore favore" Helena cringed at her friend's terribly broken Spanish as he ordered some meat from the young boy behind the cart.

"I would listen to the lady." A grave, male voice said from behind them.

They turned simultaneously and were faced with a tall, coppered skin man hovering over them, looking at what they were just about to order. He wore dark jeans, faded boots and a black leather jacket over a light blue button down shirt.

"Dr. Amaru, I presume?" Helena offered the older man her hand, giving him her most charming smile.

"Yes, that would be me…Agent Wells?" He asked with a perfect American accent as he politely took her hand and shook it.

"That is correct, and my ravenous partner here is Agent Lattimer" She introduced both men and as Pete greeted the doctor, the author looked up, searching for the other agents.

"Whoa, look who just arrived to the party "Claudia grabbed Myka's forearm, directing the other agent's attention from the files in her hand to where H.G and Pete were talking to a tall man.

"God, please tell me that's Doctor Amaru." The young inventor pleaded as she squeezed her friend's arm.

Based on what they had read in his file, Doctor Amaru was a 43-year-old archeologist who was born in Cusco from an American mother and Peruvian father. He had moved to Massachusetts with his mother after his parents' divorce. After receiving his PHD he had made a name for himself unearthing various ancient artifacts in several parts of the world and had been offered a place at the Warehouse at one point. The file did not specify why he had declined but a few years back he had retired and gone back to Cusco, where he accepted to keep watch over the city of Machu Picchu and several other ancient ruins and artifacts in the area.

As Myka observed the archeologist she had to agree that he did have a certain appeal to him, then her eyes locked unto Helena's causing her lips to automatically turn up. The inventor smiled back at her and waved her hand, indicating they should approach.

"Aaand I present Agent Bering and Miss Donavan" Helena finished as the women approached, offering the archeologist their hands in greeting.

"Well agent Lattimer, I have to say I'm a little envious of you right now" Flashing a perfect, white smile at Myka.

"Wha Foe?" Pete questioned, his mouth stuffed with the skewered meat.

Myka hoped no one noticed the blush she felt making its way to her cheeks as she met the archeologist's appraising gaze. Thankfully, Helena interrupted the moment. "Well, shall we be on our way then?"

"Of course, follow me" The older man supplied as he turned and made his way to a parked SUV.

...

"So where are we heading to first?" Claudia questioned when they were all settled inside the large car.

"Well, we leave tomorrow morning for Chincha so, I was thinking we can grab something to eat and talk about the case before I drop you off at your hotel" Roberto said as he looked at the car's occupants from the rear-view mirror.

"Whoa, wait, Chincha? Our instructions were to go straight to Cusco" Myka interjected from the passenger seat beside him, not liking that their plans had been changed without their knowledge.

"And we will, Agent Bering, after we make a small stop in Chincha" The doctor tried to appease the younger woman with a smile. Myka didn't budge.

"Explain." she simply demanded as she crossed her arms and waited expectantly for his reply.

Helena covered her mouth to hide the smile that appeared on her face and stared out of the car window. Myka could be so stubborn sometimes; it was one of her more infuriating traits, one that Helena had come to cherish ever so much…when it wasn't directed at her, that is.

The archeologist simply nodded and began to do as Myka requested, "Well, as you know the earthquake created a crevice in the side of Huayna Picchu. It's simple enough to get to but it appears there is a network of tunnels inside the mountain…there might be hundreds of dead ends, pit falls, not to mention possible booby traps. So, odds are if we go in there unprepared…we might not be coming out" He explained.

Myka's expression softened upon hearing Amaru's logic, a little dismayed she hadn't come to the same conclusion.

"So, what does that have to do with Chincha?" She questioned further, her voice deprived of her previous hostility.

"Cusco was the only Incan city that wasn't found and pillaged by the Spaniards when they first arrived here in the late 1520's. It was so well hidden, that it was only until 1911 that an American explorer, Hiram Bingham, came across it on one of his expeditions. He stayed in a village near the abandoned ruins for quite sometime and he befriended many of the natives who lived there. It was from them that he learned that there was an artifact of immeasurable power hidden somewhere within the ruins. It is said that after many years he found the source but, when he came into contact with it and learned what it could do, he decided to give it to the village…asking it's inhabitants to destroy it. He left Peru and never returned again. Well, It appears that this village refused to or was unable to destroy the artifact" He finished, taking a breath from his story. "Ah, here we are!….follow me agents, let's get something to eat!" He switched topics so suddenly; he left three out of the four agents staring expectantly at him, waiting for the next part of the tale.

- "Wait, why do you think that?"

- "Do you know what the artifact is?"

- "I still don't know what this has to do with Chincha"

- "Awesome! I'm starving"

The agents blurted out at once. The archeologist simply gave them an enigmatic smile and parked the car.

"I'm glad to hear that Agent Lattimer…because you're in for a treat" and then looking at the women. "All In good time my friends, come" He insisted as he stepped out of the vehicle and made his way into a sparse but nicely decorated restaurant on the edge of a cliff looking out into the ocean.

Once inside, they sat at a round table next to a large window from where they could see lights coming from the houses, shops and lighthouses that bordered the coast all around them. It was a beautiful view.

...

"I can't believe I'm saying this but, I can't eat another bite." Pete groaned, rubbing his stomach and giving a sorrowful look at the leftovers on his plate.

They had eaten everything from sizzling parmesan scallops, fresh corn tamales, crab stuffed empanadas and shellfish ceviche. Dishes they would normally never eat but after taking the first bite, they couldn't get enough of. Roberto had officially wined and dined them, proving to be a most gracious host.

As the waiter came to retrieve their plates, Claudia leaned casually towards Helena who was sitting to her right, enjoying a glass of Pisco Sour.

"Can you believe this guy? Come on, he can't be for real." Claudia whispered, suspiciously eyeing the polite doctor who sat between Pete and Myka, immersed in lively conversation with them.

Helena followed the young woman's line of sight and considered the man seated in front of her.

"Yes, he is quite charming, is he not?" She said dryly as she took a sip from her drink. Roberto was in fact rubbing the author the wrong way but probably not for the reasons Claudia thought, she admitted to herself.

"Yeah, well, that's the thing. He's just too…too perfect, that's never a good sign" She countered, eyeing once more the handsome doctor.

"Ah yes, well, we've only just met the man, give him time" Helena assured, taking a deep breath and giving her friend an amiable smile, trying to get rid of the foul mood she was currently in.

Truth was, she didn't find the doctor the least bit suspicious. He was charismatic, friendly and polite to a fault. She was, quite frankly, surprised he hadn't charmed the young computer wiz; he had certainly one over the other two agents.

She smiled politely at a joke the archeologist made and turned to look furtively at a laughing Myka who was sitting beside her. She tried not to examine too deeply the feelings Myka's new found interest in the older archeologist stirred in her. The curly haired agent's dark mood had all but disappeared and she seemed to be enjoying herself all thanks to Amaru's efforts. Meanwhile, H.G.'s disposition seemed to be getting worse with each passing minute.

Sensing H.G's eyes on her, Myka turned and gave her a questioning look, the goofy grin still plastered on her face. H.G immediately glanced back at her glass and took a deep breath, cursing herself once more for not being able to control the feelings the younger agent's smile prompted in her. She quickly returned her dark eyes at a worried looking Myka and placed the half empty glass of Pisco Sour in front of her, gesturing with a nod for her to try it. Myka looked curiously at the drink, her grin slowly turning into a crooked smile as she accepted it and gave it a try. She closed her eyes in delight as the tangy liquid made its way down her throat. "Oh my god, that's good." She praised, giving it another try.

"Isn't it?" Helena agreed giving Myka her own crooked smile. She unexpectedly felt herself blush when the younger woman's gaze turned from gleeful and carefree to soft and gentle, her leaf green eyes slowly roaming her face as if memorizing every inch of it. She had noticed these looks before; she had to be blind not to notice the hero worship the younger agent held for her, for that's all it really was. Nonetheless, it was excruciating having to ignore those looks yet she would be damned before she let Myka anywhere near her. The younger woman's friendship was already more than she ever deserved and she was sure it was only a matter of time before she would somehow hurt her and the other Warehouse employees, all of whom she cared for more than she would like to admit. The writer cleared her throat and forced herself to turn away from the searching eyes.

Myka caught herself looking at her friend and mentally kicked herself when the other woman awkwardly cleared her throat and turned away from her. 'What the hell Myka, are you trying to push her away?' She berated herself as she heard the author ask Roberto,

"So, shall we continue your enrapturing story, Dr. Amaru? I'm afraid it is getting quite late and we do have to wake up so dreadfully early tomorrow."

"Ah yes, where was I?" The tall man inquired.

"All-powerful artifact-supposed to be destroyed, wasn't" Pete summarized.

"Why do you think this artifact still exists?" Myka questioned, hoping the low lighting camouflaged the blush her recent slip up with Helena had caused.

"Well, turns out Bingham carried with him a treasured rifle wherever he went. Once he left, he gave it to one of his illegitimate children. The rifle was passed down from generation to generation and is now held in an estate by his great grandson. It appears that ever since the earthquake, the rifle has been…acting up." Amaru struggled with the last words and looked up, trying to gouge the group's reaction.

"Well, what do you think is the rifle's connection to the artifact we're looking for?" Pete prodded.

"I believe that the rifle was with Bingham when he encountered the artifact and a connection between them was created somehow…the link may not be with the specific artifact we're looking for, or it may be connected to a whole group of artifacts but, in any case, I think it's worth checking out" He finished.

The four agents looked at each other, silently weighing their options, finally Myka spoke up, "Fine, you're right. We'll leave for Chincha tomorrow and try to figure out if this rifle has any connection to the artifact and to what happened in Cusco." She said.

Roberto grinned, seemingly proud of himself for having convinced the agents to follow him to the city and asked the waiter for the check which he promptly insisted on taking care of.

Amaru parked the SUV in front of a small, enclosed hotel in the district of Miraflores. He helped them with their bags and as he talked to the clerk at the front desk, Myka left the other agents who were exhaustedly waiting around the common area and decided to explore her surroundings, always feeling safer when she knew the in's and out's of a place. She turned a corner and opened a sliding door that lead to a small garden. Myka closed her eyes, surprised at the silence that surrounded her. Lima was anything but a quiet city. She was startled at the sound of the door sliding open.

"It's nice here, isn't it?" Roberto asked standing inside the building, his usual confidence strangely missing from his demeanor.

"Yeah, it's beautiful" she agreed, looking at all the brightly colored flowers and the small tranquil pond in the middle of the garden.

"Ah, I just came here to give you the key to your room" He finally stepped inside the garden and stretched out his arm, offering the woman the small key.

"Thanks" She said as she took it from his hand. Sensing there was something else he wanted to say, she carefully asked, "What is it?"

Roberto opened his mouth to answer only to quickly shut it again. Placing his hands on his hips, his eyes fell to the ground at Myka's feet for a few seconds while he summoned up the courage to say what he had really come there for.

"I don't really know much about the Warehouse agents" He began awkwardly, "I, myself have only been in contact with the Warehouse for a few years now and know that there's been one too many incidents concerning the people working there. But, as soon as Frederic told me I was to meet you, I started doing some research on all of you." He looked up and seeing Myka was about to say something, trudged through, not wanting to get sidetracked, "I mean, I didn't know you, didn't really have a reason to trust you…no offense but if the Regents are anything to go by, then I wouldn't trust a Warehouse agent as far as I could throw them" He tried to make light of the situation, succeeding in making Myka smile, silently agreeing with his logic.

"I found out you used to work with Sam Martino back in the Presidential Protection Division" He continued, his tone serious again.

"He was my partner" Myka whispered back somewhat confused, not understanding why this man would bring up Sam and not really wanting to get into the whole painful subject.

Amaru nodded before stating, "I used to know him you know" This caused Myka's thoughts to steer from memories of blue eyes, slow sweet kisses and an easy smile, and focus on the man before her.

"What?" She asked incredulously.

"Before he became an agent, he lived in Boston for a while. He actually studied for about a year in B.U. where I supervised the field work for the younger students…Did you know he was interested in Ancient Studies?" He asked, sincerely curious at how well the younger woman knew her former partner.

"Ah, um no…I-I didn't" A surprised Myka confessed, her heart clenching at the thought of Sam not confiding even that small detail of his life to her after all they'd been through.

"He was a bright kid, eager, and quick…he was also the class clown, drove me insane with his pranks" He remembered fondly, eliciting a soft snort from the woman who covered her mouth and wiped at her suddenly tear filled eyes. She most definitely knew that side to her Sam, he would not be happy unless he exacted a genuine laugh from her at least once a day. He used to drive her crazy as well.

"Yeah, that sure sounds like him" She agreed.

"I'm- I just wanted to say how sorry I am for your loss, he was a great kid. I'm sure he turned out to be a great man." He uttered softly, feeling a little like a fool for having brought this up now and obviously unearthing some painful memories from the young agent. "Look, I'm sorry for bringing this up, it just came as a complete shock and—"

"No, its okay, thank you." Myka interrupted, laying her hand on the doctor's forearm, stalling him from apologizing for something he really didn't have to apologize for.

"It's nice to see him through somebody else's eyes." She assured the older man.

"Myka? Is everything okay here?" Her partner's voice came from the door. Myka quickly dabbed at her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket before turning to see a worried Pete and a somber looking Helena.

"Hey guys" She gave her friends a shaky smile, trying to appease their worried gazes "…I'll, I'll be right in." She assured, trying to sound casual and failing miserably

Pete didn't buy it for a minute. "Hey man, what did you say to her?" He walked into the garden and planted himself in front of the doctor. At this, Myka grabbed a hold of her partner's arm and gently made him turn to look at her.

"Pete, listen to me…I'm okay, Doctor Amaru didn't do anything…let's just go get some sleep, please." She urged the worried looking agent. "We'll talk about it tomorrow" She offered. When she saw his apprehension, she added, "I promise"

With that, Pete begrudgingly nodded his acquiescence and gave one final stern look at the taller man before storming out.

"I'm sorry Myka" Roberto voiced softly, grabbing her hand for assurance. At this, Myka saw in her peripheral vision Helena step inside the garden and, not wanting to cause another scene, she quickly squeezed his hand and whispered, "It's okay, I'll talk to them. Like I said, you have nothing to feel sorry for." With these words, the doctor seemed to relax some. He backed away from the agent and with a contemplative look her way started to head out only to be stopped by Helena's withering stare. He knew enough to recognize when someone was threating him and the look the agent was giving him spoke volumes. He quickly cleared his throat and averted his eyes as he walked back inside the hotel.

As soon as he left them, Helena strode quickly to the younger agent, stopping a few feet from her and placing a supportive hand on the Myka's forearm.

"Tell me." The inventor gently encouraged as she coaxed the green-eyed agent to look at her. Myka took another shuttering breath, not sure if she could handle the other woman's penetrating gaze right at that moment. She tried again to conjure up a smile but failed miserably, a few tears escaping despite her best efforts to hold them in. H.G lightly wiped them away, and then enveloped the younger woman in her arms. The taller agent breathed in Helena's scent and let her tears finally fall.

"He knew Sam" Myka's hoarse voice sounded muffled, her lips resting on Helena's shoulder. She didn't want her friends to get the wrong impression of Roberto and she regretted not telling Pete as soon as he had confronted the archeologist. But, it had all been too much. But at this moment, in the protective embrace of Helena's arms, she felt safe and she was finally thinking clearly.

"He just found out about his death and he was giving me his condolences." She pushed back some in order to look at the author's face. "He was his professor, before he decided to join the Secret Service…and just thinking about him so young and-and full of life…I don't know, it made me miss him all over again…I'm sorry" She finished lamely. Helena frowned at her friend, shaking her head in confusion. "Why would you say that?" She whispered fiercely, brushing loose strands of hair away from the younger woman's face with both hands and placing them behind her ears. "You loved him, and you've every right to miss him." She emphasized her words by cupping her face once more and ducking her head a bit in order to make eye contact with the agent.

Myka blew out a small breath, finally succeeding in reigning in her emotions and smiled timidly yet gratefully at the dark eyed woman. "How do you do that?" Myka asked in wonderment as she looked at her friend with genuine fondness. Helena grinned sensing the other woman's change in mood. "What?" She asked amused, playfully pulling a rueful strand of curly hair that had once again fallen over her face.

"Make me feel like everything is going to be okay when just a few seconds ago I thought I might just lose it" She explained, a little self-conscious about the whole ordeal.

"One of my many hidden talents, my dear." Came the writer's nonchalant response. Myka chuckled at Helena's comment, feeling infinitely better than a few seconds ago.

"Thank you" The younger agent stated earnestly after a few seconds as the other woman gazed sweetly at her. Myka's breath caught in her throat when H.G.'s dark eyes slowly fell to her lips. Myka's smile slowly faltered, giving way to semi-parted lips. At this, Helena immediately looked up, catching the younger woman regarding her in surprise. The author offered a wistful, crooked smile, not really knowing what else to do, having just been caught blatantly and dreamily observing her friend. She blew out a breath before giving her one of her trademark smirks and stating in a lower voice than usual, "No need to thank me darling, all in a days work." She took a step back. "Well, we have a long day ahead of us, best we be off to bed." She proposed a little unsteadily as she quickly turned and started to head back.

"Whoa, whoa!" Mika snapped out of her reverie and grasped H.G by the arm, making her turn around and face her. "What the hell was that?!" She demanded.

"What on earth are you talking about?" H.G. questioned back, her whole demeanor aloof.

Looking at the woman disbelievingly, Myka continued, "Oh no you don't…you know exactly what I'm talking about" The younger agent shot back. "I-I don't get you. You look at me and touch me like, like…" Frustrated at not being able to find the words to encompass what she saw when Helena regarded her the way she just had; she simply took a steadying breath and took a step towards the other agent, occupying her personal space. The deer-caught-in-headlights look the writer was currently donning only served to fuel her newfound resolve. Myka cupped the inventor's face and lightly brushed her thumbs against the other woman's cheeks.

"Like that" She whispered as she rested her forehead against the inventor's, finally seeing a crack in the other woman's armor. Helena closed her eyes, trying to organize her thoughts, not having expected any of this and refusing to let Myka get through her defenses.

`A little late for that old girl` She silently berated herself as she felt a light pressure on her forehead as the taller agent gently nudged her "Helena, look at me" She heard the soft voice gently coax.

"Tell me there's nothing here" Myka softly dared.

...

_Six Months Earlier_

"_So, Helena... If you feel up to it, tell me a little bit about Agent Myka Bering" Dr. Harris encouraged the woman sitting impassively in front of her. "Based on what you've told me and from what I've read from your files, she was instrumental in you being reinstated into the Warehouse and according to you she is a trustworthy agent and a dear friend. But, I'm also sensing that that's not the whole story…" she finished, trying to gouge something from the legendary writer. _

_Dr. Eileen Harris couldn't believe that she had been assigned to work with the one and only H.G. Wells. She had spent many a night in her high school and college years finding solace in the writer's fictional worlds. She had to admit, she had been a little star struck when she had first encountered the younger woman but the feeling soon vanished; replaced by sincere respect and admiration – and on more than one occasion, exasperation - for her fellow Warehouse employee._

_It was blatantly obvious that the atrocities the writer had been through had left open wounds in her psyche. That, coupled with the singular fact that she was a living, breathing time traveler, stuck in a world so very different from her own, made her a fascinating if not frustrating case. _

_At the mention of Agent Bering's name, Eileen noticed – and not for the first time- an immediate, albeit miniscule change in Helena's demeanor. She looked distractedly at the floor as an almost imperceptible smile graced her features. _

"_I love her" She stated simply. The sincere statement took the doctor somewhat by surprise considering it usually took various sessions to get her to open up about almost anything. _

"_Er—and would you like to expand on that, Helena?" She encouraged._

_At the request, the writer quickly looked up, finally focusing on the older woman. "Yes, well, there isn't much else to expand on, now is there? I love her, I dare say I'm quiet in love with her, but you and I both know I'm in no state of mind to pursue a romantic entanglement…I am quiet mad, you know?" She deadpanned, deflecting her obvious hurt with an air of aloofness. _

"_You're not mad" Harris countered. _

_A skeptical raise of the eyebrow was all it took for the doctor to clear her throat and rephrase her comment. "Yes, you've been through unfathomable ordeals and you have a lot of work ahead of you in order for you to overcome all the anger and self-loathing you have inside you but, that doesn't mean you should deprive yourself of something that can very well help you."_

"_I beg your pardon…self-loathing? You must not have met me, I most certainly do not loath myself, quite the opposite in fact" The author stated with a half smirk. _

"_Stop avoiding the issue, Helena and do not confuse confidence and arrogance with acceptance of oneself. I'm well aware you regard yourself rather highly, at least in your capacity to manipulate and intimidate other people. But, I believe you're scared out of your mind about letting yourself feel something for someone. And it seems to me that you're not letting yourself trust others as well. Christina is certainly one of the main reasons for that, I'm sure you know. But, Myka is not Christina:"_

_At the sound of her daughter's name, the writer's whole demeanor darkened. "I bloody well know that. And Christina has nothing to do with my decision regarding Myka." Helena stopped herself then, realizing she was letting her emotions get the better of her. She took a steadying breath before continuing._

"_I have done so many atrocities in my life time. I have hurt a great many people and I've actually enjoyed it in some instances. When I was released from that bronze prison, believe me, I was ready to cause a great deal of more pain to many others…and then Myka, she-she saved me from myself." Helena looked away before continuing "Myka, just by being Myka , she probably saved the world if I'm being honest" She finished almost in a whisper. _

"_I-I don't understand" Eileen was at a miss with her patient's last statement. _

"_And let us hope you never do" _

_Despite the inventor's background and her previous captivity in the bronze sector, Doctor Harris had never been the least bit frightened of her; that is, until this very moment. Agent Wells had never been this somber or serious and Harris did not like the dark gleam in the writer's eyes which had vanished just as soon as it had appeared._

_Helena took advantage of the Doctor's stunned silence to finish up her musings on the topic at hand, feeling invigorated at finally being able to share her burden with someone. "Myka, she is so very noble and she sees the best in everyone. I, on the other hand, have a dark beast living within me and I do believe I will never be able to tame it and so I will keep her as far away from its darkness as I can for if she ever becomes prey to it, I fear it would be her demise and that-that is the one thing I cannot live with."_

"_Then why not just leave?" Eileen questioned._

"_I've asked myself that many a time, believe me Doctor. I'm afraid I'm not that courageous and as I'm sure you've come to appreciate, I can be quite selfish. It seems I need the Warehouse and the people in it far more than I care to admit. They are my home and I rather have a semblance of a life, stolen moments of deluded happiness than nothing at all, for I assure you Doctor, outside of the Warehouse there is nothing left for me."_

_After long moments of silence, a solemn Eileen spoke out in a firm and confident voice, "Well then, it seems you have everything figured out."_

"_It is what it is" Helena provided. _

"_Then what are you doing here? Why seek help?" She challenged simply. _

_To Eileen's relief, the questions posed hit their mark, causing a minor dent in the inventor's armor. Helena shifted uncomfortably in her seat and grabbed her cherished necklace as she always did in moments of unrest. _

"_Ah well, that is the irony of it all, is it not? Myka has saved me from myself and by doing so, she has made me feel something I had long ago thought dead" _

"_And what is that?" _

" _Hope"_

_..._

Clenching her jaw and knowing she had no other choice, H.G. rested her hands on each of the agent's and slowly removed them from her face. She held them delicately between her own and looked at them, lost in thought for a few moments, before finally looking up and meeting a warm, hopeful gaze.

"I'm sorry Myka." At those words, her friend closed her own eyes and stepped back, disengaging herself from Helena's hands. "I do care for you ever so much. You believed in me when everyone else was so sure I was an unrepentant monster and when they turned their backs on me, you put everything on the line to give me a chance at some semblance of a life" Helena tried to explain almost desperately, seeing the other woman distancing herself physically and emotionally from her.

"You're so full of crap." Myka blurted out after hearing the other woman confess her eloquent half-truths "Fine, whatever you say. I'm sorry I brought it up. You don't have to worry though, it won't happen again" She exclaimed aggrieved, not understanding why the inventor wouldn't open up to her, wouldn't admit her feelings. But, she felt like she had waited long enough and if this was what Helena really wanted then she really had no other choice than to accept it and move on. It didn't surprise her to feel her heart clench painfully at the thought.

They stood facing each other for a few seconds. Myka would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so screwed up. They were simply staring at each other, in a silent war of wills, seeing who would break first.

Thankfully, Claudia's disembodied voice interrupted the tense moment.

"Yo, Myka" The redhead's voice came from inside the building. With one final look at the inventor, Myka turned to the sound of the young tech's voice and replied "Yeah Claud, I'm in the garden" She announced as she walked towards the door, brushing past Helena.

Claudia met up with Myka just as she was walking through the threshold. "Hey…am I missing something here?" The young woman carefully asked as she stared at the two women's forlorn expressions. "What's with all the long faces? Between Amaru, Pete and you guys, I might as well be back at the Warehouse having fun doing inventory" She joked dryly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Everything's fine Claud…come on…I'm beat, let's go find our rooms." Myka tried putting on a more cheerful disposition for her young friend. "Oookay" A confused looking Claudia replied as her eyes settled once more on H.G. who had turned around and made her way to the small pond at the far end of the garden.

Myka put an arm around the tech and led her further inside, refusing to look back out into the garden.

As soon as H.G. was confident that she had finally been left alone, she exhaled loudly and with that breath, unwanted tears started to run down her face. She put her arms around herself and bent at the waist, feeling like she had just been kicked in the stomach. She rested a hand on a nearby tree and tried to control her breathing and reign in her wayward emotions only to become more agitated when she realized that it was becoming even more difficult to breathe. She sank to her knees and gave a soundless gasp when she felt a hand on the small of her back. She looked up, torn between gratefulness and sheer embarrassment. Claudia was bent over her, gently swiping the sweat soaked hair from her forehead, her expression focused.

"You're having an anxiety attack." She stated matter-of-factly, knowing that the usually confidant and proud writer loathed looking vulnerable in front of anyone.

The Warehouse tech knelt beside her friend and held a shaking hand, massaging it soothingly.

"H.G., listen to me. I want you to take a deep breath through your nose and count to three, okay?" She instructed, waiting for Helena to acknowledge her words and nod. The older agent took a deep breath and held it in. "Now I want you to slowly exhale". The teary eyed woman did what was asked of her and after a few minutes of this, she felt well enough to give the hand holding hers a reassuring squeeze before letting go and gently grabbing the younger woman by the collar of her jacket and pulling her closer. Still having some trouble breathing she whispered with some difficulty, "Not. A. Word" She finished, a shaky albeit impish smile on her face. Claudia laughed out loud; glad to see her friend was feeling more like her old self. She encircled the lithe woman's frame with an arm and helped her to her feet. "Come on…Let's get you to bed" Claudia exclaimed as she led the writer inside. "Be still, my beating heart" Helena quipped dryly.

...

Thanks again for taking the time to read.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Empire of the Sun: Chapter 3

Rating: R just in case (K+)

Summary: The agents are sent to the ancient ruins of Machu Pichu for a possible Warehouse emergency. (I suck at summaries)

Pairings: Myka/H.G.

Disclaimer 1: Warehouse 13 and characters are not mine, just playing around with them.

Disclaimer 2: To anyone who is from Peru, I apologize for making some stuff up. I did do some researchn but for story purposes, I had to use my imagination :) I've been there once a few years ago and completely fell in love with the country.

Disclaimer 3: First fan fic so any feedback and constructive critcism will be greatly appreciated.

Author's note: The events here take place aprox. one year after Helena joins the Warehouse and assume she decided not to go along with the whole blowing up the world incident. So, no Steve Jinks (for now).

I also forgot to mention, this hasn't been beta'd so sorry for any mistakes.

...

Pete looked excitedly out the window as the black SUV slowed down near a shallow river. They had been driving down a main road for about an hour and had finally turned into a less travelled path and the Warehouse agent was itching to get out and take in the new sights. Chincha was anything but what he had been expecting.

They had passed what seemed like endless cotton and cornfields and little else on their three hour long journey, so when they had finally come across civilization, he had been awed by what had greeted them. The small countryside province was made up of simple, mismatched houses each painted with a unique color. The dirt roads were used by cars, mules and horses alike. There were very few trees in the part of the city where they were currently at but he could see that up river, there was a thick forest that went on for miles.

The best part though seemed to be the people. Roberto had explained that Chincha was mostly populated by afroperuvians whose ancestors had come as slaves with the first Spaniards and whose families had united with native tribes and Spanish settlers alike giving the city a distinct feel. Chincha's inhabitants seemed to be warm and fun loving; many of them had run up to the slowly moving vehicle in order to see who the new visitors were and to give them a friendly wave hello, happily inviting them to join their festivities.

It was around eleven am on a Saturday morning and the agent could see the beginnings of some sort of fair taking place at the end of a market. People were already starting to open up beers and prepare for lunch, setting up picnic and Barbeque spots. Pete's stomach grumbled at the thought of food.

"Why'd we stop?" A groggy Claudia asked as she leaned across Myka in the back seat and stared out the window, her nostrils filling with the mouth-watering smell of pork and spices. That, fused with the distinct countryside aroma of fresh grass, clean air and compost made her want to immediately get out of the car and explore.

"We can't go any further with the car" Explained Roberto as he smiled enigmatically at her from his seat behind the steering wheel and got out.

"I didn't like how he said that" Claudia murmured to a grumpy looking Helena who was sitting to her right, head leaning against the window.

"Nor did I, my dear" Helena agreed miserably, rubbing her temple in a circular motion.

The inventor had had a sleepless night and despite the beautiful day and the excitement of the new case, her body was protesting every waking minute. To top it all off, Myka had been decidedly keeping her at arms length, addressing her only when absolutely necessary and always in a detached and professional manner. She wasn't surprised, feeling a pang of guilt and a deep ache as she thought back to the previous night. The way the younger woman had looked at her, had touched her; it sent her heart racing even now. She raised her hand to her chest and clasped her cherished locket and with a resigned sigh, stepped out of the vehicle.

As they got their gear from out of the back of the SUV, a young woman who had been talking to a group of people gathered around a grill turned and smiled at Amaru. She waved happily and ran up to meet the tall man, giving him a friendly hug and greeting him in Spanish before turning her attention to the others.

"Everyone this is Adriana Fernandez, an old friend." He said as way of introduction.

"Watch who you call old" She replied in perfect English bathed in a rich Spanish accent. The agents introduced themselves as the coppered skinned woman shook their hands warmly and gave them the accustomed kiss on the cheek.

"I hope you're not too tired from your trip; we still have some ways to go" She said with a friendly smile.

"How far is this place?" Pete asked as they made their way through the market.

"The Hacienda is about 70 miles up stream" Adriana answered, guiding them towards the far end of the market.

Pete looked at the river that wound it's way uphill and disappeared within a dense forest several miles above them.

"So, How are we supposed to get there without a car?" Claudia asked. "—oh, never mind" She immediately exclaimed dryly as she saw the woman walking towards a group of horses carelessly grazing on some dry weed growing along the dirt road.

Pete ran up to the nearest one; a white and brown mare, with black hair which had been braided lovingly to one side. "Dibs!" he called out as he clumsily mounted the docile animal.

"Her name is Quilla…she's the sweetest one of the bunch, good choice" Adriana complemented Pete as she strapped his pack to the back of the animal.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group picked out their horses and did the same.

Soon, they were all riding down an almost none existent road, Adriana leading the way with Roberto. Helena rode Atoq, a brown stallion; the tallest one in the bunch and whose temper rivaled her own. He had almost bitten Roberto when he had tried to pet him and Helena had immediately taken a liking to him.

Myka was riding a young light brown mare, Inti, and Claudia was beside her on the smallest horse, Supay.

The party was quiet except for Adriana who was giving them some background on the estate they were heading towards.

The "San Rafael Hacienda" had been built in the early XVII century by African slaves brought there by Jesuits priests. The priests had become immensely prosperous thanks to the copious amounts of sugar their slaves cultivated but, there had also been much abuse and torture within its walls and after decades of this, the slaves rebelled and murdered the landlords. The hacienda was left abandoned for centuries, no one wanting to buy what was considered to be damned. Then, Hiram Bingham's son came along and bought the land, making it into a tourist attraction, renting out small cabins and offering guided tours. Now Gustavo, his great grandson, was the current owner. The lands were known to hold various artifacts. These had not been procured by the Warehouse because they held great esteem within the community and because they were deemed harmless. So, as long as Gustavo agreed to act as a point of contact and help out the Warehouse agents whenever needed, he was awarded leeway with the artifacts in his lands.

"Yo, Amaru" Pete called out as he rode up to the archeologist.

"Yes Agent Lattimer?" Amaru tentatively asked, not knowing what to expect from the younger man after last nights events.

"About last night…I'm sorry I got all rallied up. I saw you with Mykes and she was all sad and doey – eyed and I-I misread the whole thing" He finished quickly, wanting to be on good terms with the man who had been nothing but respectful and friendly since they had arrived. Pete had confronted Myka at the hotel that morning and had made her remember her promise to talk about what had happened with Amaru. Upon hearing her version of the events, the agent's aggression towards the archaeologist had vanished completely.

"Not a problem. I don't think I'd act any differently if I thought someone had upset Agent Bering" Roberto confessed, while he adjusted the reigns on his horse, avoiding eye contact with the younger man.

Pete nodded absentmindedly, before his eyes opened wide in realization "Oh..you—"

"Agent Lattimer, please don't yell out what I think you're going to yell out" Roberto interrupted as he eyed him quickly before clearing his throat in discomfort and looking away, pretending to see something immensely interesting in the barren landscape around him.

Pete gave a short bark of laughter before guiding his horse closer to the archeologist's "You've got a thing for Mykes?" He asked in what could barely be construed as a whisper.

"If by 'thing' you mean that I find her to be a smart, well-spoken and beautiful woman then yes, I guess you can say that" Roberto clarified, becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the conversation.

"Speaking of agent Bering, is she currently seeing anyone?" He continued, figuring that he was already neck deep in the conversation, so he might as well get some useful information out of it.

"Pffft, Myka?...No, she hasn't been on a date since she started working at the Warehouse. I mean, who can blame her?…She's been working with this the past two years" Pete said as he puffed out his chest and pointed at himself proudly. "-I practically ruined all other men for her."

"Pete! Did you just fart?!" Claudia called from a few feet behind him, waving her hand across her scrunched up face.

Roberto looked at the younger agent expectantly while Pete smiled and put up a finger signaling him to wait "It was the horse!" Pete shot back as he turned and glared at the young tech.

"So…I'm assuming then that I can ask Agent Bering out once our work in Machu Picchu is finished?" He continued, ignoring the muttered "It sure smells like yours" coming from behind them.

"Uuum, yeah, I guess...I mean, It's already a plus that you know about the Warehouse and everything it implies for us…I got to tell ya, it's a killer being an agent and trying to be in a relationship…believe me." Pete confessed to the doctor who simply nodded his understanding and looked behind his shoulder at Myka who was riding silently behind Claudia.

"We'll be entering the Cumbemayo forest when we reach the next bend" Adriana announced from her place in front of the line. She turned her horse to face the others and waited for the party to stop.

"Ok, a word of warning…we must not make too much noise in these woods" Adriana spoke in a hushed voice "There are things that reside within its depths that do not want us there" She continued solemnly, giving everyone a pointed look.

"Oh, now she tells us" Claudia mumbled next to Pete as she unconsciously guided her horse closer to his.

"Ah, might I ask why this wasn't mentioned earlier?" A sullen looking Helena pondered from behind Myka who in turn cringed at the sound of the other woman's voice. She was trying to avoid as best she could any interaction with the writer. Her nerves and her heart couldn't stand to be so close to her after what had happened the previous night. She had been floundering all day long between being completely heart broken and utterly mortified at the way she had practically thrown herself at the older woman. The inventor's presence only seemed to intensify those feelings so Myka had ended up becoming completely irritated by any contact or comment that came from Helena.

"Well, from what Doctor Amaru says you need something from Gustavo so we have no other choice than to cross the wood. I've made this trip many times, so have most of the villagers. As long as we don't make too much of a racket and are respectful, we will be safe." She explained, sensing the unease from the others in the group.

As Roberto, Adriana and the agents entered the forest, Pete felt a chill run down his back. The warm sun that had kept them company all day disappeared from one minute to the next, the dense foliage above them blocking out most of the light. The cold wind blowing through the trees made a howling noise and startled their horses every so often. Pete heard a rustling from somewhere to his right and he was sure he saw a pair of dark eyes staring at him from a bush a few feet away. He turned and grabbed his jacket, which had been neatly placed behind him by Adriana. He didn't know if he was shivering from the cold or from the uneasy feeling he had gotten ever since they had entered.

"I don't like the vibes this place is giving me" Pete confessed to Claudia as he started to put on his jacket, then thinking better of it, placed it over the red head's shoulders.

"Yeah, well I think some of your super powers have finally rubbed off on me 'cause I am definitely getting some major vibes here…and not the good kind" Claudia whispered back as she gratefully accepted the jacket and introduced her arms into the sleeves. She then turned to see where the other two agents had gone to.

Myka was directly behind her, trying to sooth her nervous mare by patting her lightly on the neck. She gave Claudia a small smile but the young tech could tell she was just doing it for her benefit; she could clearly see the anxiousness in the older woman's eyes.

Helena rounded out the group, right behind Myka. Her expression serious and her eyes constantly moving through the dark landscape.

"Isn't there another way to get to the estate? – I thought it was supposed to be some kind of tourist attraction" Myka questioned, thinking that if there was indeed some other way, she would not think twice about turning back and trying it, no matter what it entailed.

"We usually use the river to take the tourists, but it is dry season so, the river stops a few kilometers ahead; there's no way of getting there that way at the moment" Adriana explained calmly.

"What exactly lives in this forest?" Claudia asked, lifting the collar of Pete's jacket and zipping it up, trying to fend off the bone deep chill that had suddenly taken over her.

"We are not sure, but based on some of the accounts from the villagers…it is best that we keep it that way, little one" Roberto finally spoke up, turning around to address the young tech. Claudia was surprised to see the usually jovial archeologist so serious. 'That can't be good' She mused to herself as she nodded her understanding.

"Have people actually died in here?" Pete had to know.

"Sadly, yes…but, it's been many years since the last incident. The Hacienda is one of the main sources of income for a lot of the farmers and merchants here, so during dry season they take their chances with the forest. Most make it back but some…" Roberto let his words fade out; his meaning all too clear.

"H.G. come here, please" Mika called out to the writer. She hadn't liked what Roberto was implying and she felt uneasy having her friend defenseless at the back of the line.

The writer was all too happy to oblige. The fine hairs at the back of her neck were standing on end. She had felt a presence behind her ever since they had entered but every time she had looked back, there was nothing.

"So, we're on speaking terms again, I gather?" She mused, as she rode up to Myka's right.

"No, but I don't like this place and I won't have you riding about unprotected" She explained matter-of-factly.

Helena blew out a resigned puff of air as she looked longingly for a way out of the dark forest. She could see her breath in the dim light and she shivered unexpectedly, trying to keep her teeth from chattering.

"I have an extra jacket strapped to my backpack…" Myka absently offered, without taking her protective eyes from Pete and Claudia in front of her. She could also see her breath as she exhaled and quickly zipped up her own jacket, trying to protect herself from the numbing wind.

"Here" She heard H.G.'s gentle voice beside her. She turned and saw one of her old scarves being held by an outstretched hand.

"I hope you don't mind. With you being ill last week, I placed it with my belongings…just in case" The older woman said as way of explanation.

Myka stared blankly at the scarf for a few moments, remembering last week when she had come down with the flu.

...

"_Mykes, you don't look so good" Pete stated from his seat across from her at the kitchen table._

"What do you mean? I feel perfectly fine" Myka assured her partner, trying to will away the splitting headache that had rooted itself in her skull about an hour ago.

"_-Now zip it and let me finish reading" She finished as she placed her head in her hand and resumed trying to finish the report in front of her. _

"_Ok, now I know something's wrong…I've already finished reading mine…I never finish before you-ever" Pete said as he stood from his chair and made his way towards his partner. _

_¨Don't you dare touch me with those hands" the curly haired agent warned, cringing her nose at Pete's chocolate smattered hand which was at the moment reaching out to feel her forehead. He had been occupying himself while Myka read by preparing a Nutella and banana sandwich and in the process had made a mess of his jeans and shirt, not to mention most of the kitchen. _

"_What? It's just Nutella" He said as he sucked on his chocolate covered thumb._

"_Nuh-huh" Myka protested again, leaning as far away from the man-child as she possibly could._

"_Pete, Myka? What's this then?" Helena asked as she entered the kitchen and saw Pete looming over a disheveled looking Myka. _

"_Myka's come down with the flu__and she has something against Nutella" Pete answered as he stepped back from a _glowering_ Myka._

"_I don't have the flu and I have nothing against Nutella as long as it's nowhere near my hair" Myka defended herself lamely. _

"_Is that so?" Helena played along as she walked over to her seated friend and placed a hand on her forehead. Myka leaned into the cool touch, completely annoyed with her headache and the fact that her colleagues were treating her like a five year old. _

"_Myka dear, you're burning up" a worried lilt could be heard in H.G.'s voice. "Come, we must put you to bed immediately" She stated as she put her arms around the younger woman and helped her up. _

"_Helena, I am completely capable of walking myself to my own room" She protested as she leaned heavily into the other woman's side. _

"_Yes well, you will humor me won't you, darling?" Helena asked as she gave Pete a crooked smile. Their friend could be so terribly stubborn, even to the point of her own detriment. Pete smiled back "Told you" he mumbled as he cleared a path to the stairs. _

"_Helena, you really don't have to do this." Myka said, wincing at the sound of her hoarse voice. Helena had helped her to her room and was now helping to unzip her jacket. _

_"Don't be ridiculous darling…what are friends for?" H.G. reassured her as she helped Myka ease out of the jacket and guided her to sit on the bed. She kneeled in front of her and started to unzip her boots as well._

"_Yeah well, friends we definitely are"__Myka spoke in a low tone, almost to herself. Helena looked up, a questioning look in her eyes. _

"_Myka? Is something the matter?" _

"_It's nothing…pull, please" She stated as she splayed out on the bed and stretched her legs out. Helena smiled at the uncharacteristic childish behavior and stood, pulling off the woman's boots in the process. _

"_Ah! There we go" Helena declared with satisfaction as she finished her task. She leaned over her friend and touched her forehead, wiping the damp strands gently away. Myka was sure the fever was making her bolder than she normally would be as she felt herself move her hand and place it over the other woman's, squeezing it meaningfully._

"_How are you feeling?" Helena whispered as she sat on the bed beside her, her thumb making circular motions over Myka's temple, trying to sooth away her headache. Myka opened her mouth to reassure the writer once again that she was fine, but seeing the openly worried expression on the other woman's face, she quickly thought better of it. "Truthfully? I feel like crap…I think my brain is actually trying to leak out of my ears and I'm cold…really, really cold." She finished just as a shiver ran up her body. _

_Helena listened patiently for her to finish and ran a comforting hand up and down the younger agent's arm. _

_Helena stood up and went to the agent's small wardrobe and searched through some of the drawers, taking out a few items of clothing. _

_"Ah, here we go" She exclaimed and turned to face Myka only to realize that the young woman had fallen asleep. She exhaled as she took in the woman's pale features. She walked over to the bed and placed a delicate hand on the agent's cheek. She looked down at the damp clothes she was wearing and taking a deep breath made up her mind. She placed an arm around Myka's neck and helped her into a sitting position, crouching so she could be at eye level with her sick friend. _

"_He-Helena…what are you doing?" Myka's slurred as she opened her groggy eyes. _

"_Shhh…we're just going to put something a bit more comfortable on you, how's that sound?" She explained in a hushed voice, feeling all of a sudden nervous as her hands went to the buttons on the green eyed woman's blouse. _

"_Oh…okay" Myka said in surprise, her dazed eyes fixed on the hands unbuttoning her blouse. She instinctively leaned her forehead against the older agents shoulder and closed her eyes, too tired to even process that the woman who she harbored some not so friendly feelings for was undressing her. _

"_Oh, Bollocks!" H.G. cursed under her breath when she couldn't get the last button undone. She wiped her suddenly clammy hand on her pant leg and tried it once more, successfully. Myka chuckled at the woman's obvious discomfort, eliciting a smirk and a raised eyebrow from the inventor. _

"_Am I amusing you with my clumsiness, Agent Bering?" Helena playfully asked, glad that some of the tension she had been feeling had broken. _

"_I thought all you inventor types had steady hands" Myka mocked lightly, her face still buried in the crook of. H.G.'s neck. Helena looked down at her slightly trembling fingers and knew she had been caught. _

"_Ah well, when it comes to handling gadgets and tools us inventor types are as steady as they come ...undressing beautiful women on the other hand, it seems that we become fumbling fifteen year old boys, I'm afraid" She half joked, wanting to kick herself for letting herself become agitated by her friend once again. _

_Myka looked up at the comment. "You think I'm beautiful?" Myka asked, her old insecurities making themselves known. Helena forced herself not to look away from Myka's questioning eyes._

"_Myka…I don't think you're beautiful -" She began and Myka quickly cast her eyes down, stung more than she thought possible by the inventor's words. Helena looked away and grabbed the clothes she had placed on the bed, gently setting them on Myka's lap as she got to her feet and made her way to the door. _

"_I don't think you're beautiful –" she repeated safely from the door "I know_ _you are, I was simply stating a fact" She said as she turned the door handle and finally made eye contact with the agent. _

"_Why don't you finish dressing while I go prepare some tea and soup?" She proposed as she opened the door, leaving Myka to stare dumbfound after her._

_..._

Myka took the offered scarf and placed it around her neck. "Thanks" She said, stubbornly averting her eyes from H.G.'s.

"You are very welcome" Helena politely stated, absolutely detesting the awkwardness into which they had fallen ever since last night. She proceeded to silently free the jacket in Myka's pack and put it on, guiltily inhaling the other woman's scent.

After a few minutes of silence, Adriana pulled on her horse's reigns, stopping him from continuing any further. The rest of the group followed suit, their eyes and ears alert, trying to pick out anything out of the ordinary.

Pete felt it before anyone else. The feeling started at the base of his neck and spread out throughout his body, like warm liquid. He turned on his saddle, now absolutely sure there was something out there, following them.

"Guys, there's something definitely wrong here." He said just as his horse whinnied and gave a small jump, clearly frightened. The rest of the horses soon did the same, Claudia's actually standing up on his hind legs before trying to bolt out of there. Thankfully, Pete got a hold of the reigns and steadied him before Claudia could fall.

The young woman grabbed his arm to steady herself and was about to thank him when she got a look at Adriana's face. She was painfully pale and she had broken out into a cold sweat. She was staring at something behind them but, before she could think to look back, their guide steadied her horse once more and yelled "Everyone, run!…go!, go!" She commanded as she pointed to a clearing still a ways off.

"Do not look back!" She practically shrieked as she used her heels to get her horse to run. Claudia looked up at Pete, a panicked expression on her face. She could feel the ground under them shake and she could hear the sound of underbrush and small trees being pushed aside. She was pretty sure she could also hear something panting heavily and a sound which could barley be discerned from the howling wind, but which was a bit wilder and much more sinister.

"Claudia, go, run!" Pete shouted, as he smacked Supay's backside and sent the small horse running towards the clearing. "Pete! No! Wait!" She protested, but it was too late. Her horse was now consumed with fear and no matter how much she pulled on the reigns and applied pressure to his sides, he would not bend to her will. Roberto suddenly appeared and grabbed Supay's throat latch, making him ride along side his own bigger horse.

"Keep your head down little one" He instructed, still looking ahead of him. She could tell that he was having a difficult time controlling his own horse but, he was thankfully pulling it off so far. She leaned forward and hugged Suppay's sweaty neck for dear life. She wanted to look back, wanted to see if her friends were all right but Adriana's last words kept ringing in her ears. "Don't look back, don't look back…" She repeated to herself over and over. She closed her eyes and focused on listening, worry clenching her heart when she couldn't discern any of her friends' voices or horses behind them.

"Over here!" She heard Adriana instruct and after what seemed like a lifetime, she felt the warmth of the sun on her face, the mind numbing cold disappearing as quickly as it had come. She looked up and breathed in the warm air. As soon as Roberto halted their horses she jumped off and looked back into the forest. There was only darkness.

"We have to go back! We have to back!…They're not coming out!" She yelled in a frantic voice. She looked back at Amaru who had also dismounted and stood anxiously behind her, searching the darkness they had just escaped from.

When he did not reply, she huffed out an angry breath and made her way to her horse. "Wait a second Claudia" She felt Adriana place a calming hand on her shoulder. "You can't go back there. I don't know what set it off, but you can't go back in, trust me" She tried to reason with the younger woman.

"There's not a chance in hell I'm leaving them in there" She exclaimed as she continued to make her way to Supay, causing the hand on her shoulder to fall away.

"Wait a moment Claudia, they'll make it" Roberto tried to assure her, his worried eyes never leaving the forest. He stepped closer, wanting to try to get a better look.

Claudia heeded no mind to what was said and quickly mounted the small horse, preparing herself for whatever she had to come up against. She felt the Tesla safely tucked into the harness under her vest. She unzipped Pete's jacket and took it out. Adriana took a step back when she saw the strange looking gun and the determined look on the red head's face.

"Claudia wait! Just, just listen!" Roberto finally turned and extended his hand in a halting motion.

The young Warehouse agent strained her neck, trying to make out any sound from within the forest. She heard a rustling and then she could clearly hear Myka yelling out something indiscernible. The fist that had been clenching her heart ever since Pete had smacked her horse into a run, loosened up a bit, hope filling her chest once more.

"I can hear their horses!" Roberto exclaimed with a relieved smile, pacing back and forth in agitation as he tried to discern where the sounds were coming from.

Claudia jumped off her horse again and almost fell on her face when her right foot gave out. She tried to run past Roberto but he grabbed her by the arms and kept her in place in front of him. She was about to elbow him in the stomach, when she saw two figures appear from the forest's depths. Claudia cried out in relief when she saw Myka and Helena riding to where they were. They had come out of the forest from a different spot than the redhead had so, they had clearly gone off course for some reason. The two women did not descend from their horses though, and Claudia immediately new why. Pete had still not made it out. She knew they would go back for him if he didn't come out within the next few seconds. She freed herself from Amaru's grasp and ran up to Myka who was nearest, wrapping an arm around her hip and leaning her forehead on her thigh. Myka placed a hand on her friend's head, running her fingers soothingly through the soft strands. "Where's Pete?!" She asked as she looked up at the agent. She had cuts and scrapes all over her face but she was in one piece, which was all that mattered.

"He was right behind us" She said in a worried voice, her eyes set in front of her.

"I will go back for him, Myka stay here with Claudia" Helena announced as she kicked her horse into a gallop.

"Helena!"

"H.G. Wait!"

Both Myka and Claudia protested.

"Dr. Amaru, Adriana…" Helena forcefully instructed over her shoulder. Adriana ran up to Claudia and put an arm around her shoulders while Roberto ran up to Myka and held Inti in place by her breast collar.

"Amaru, let go" Myka warned, her heart in her chest as she saw Helena recklessly making her way towards the forest. She had to go find Pete and she was sure as hell not going to let Helena go in there alone.

She kicked Inti's sides with her heels and the mare jumped in surprise. Amaru lost his grip on her and Myka kicked the horse again, running off at break neck speed to catch up to the writer.

As Helena entered the first patch of trees, she skillfully unholstered her Tesla, her eyes scanning her surroundings for any sign of Pete. She heard something from somewhere to her right and as she turned, she felt herself being tackled to the floor. As her body hit the ground, the wind was knocked out of her but, she had no time to catch her breath. Someone was pulling her up by the arm. She looked up and saw Pete had been the lout who had almost broken her neck. She didn't know whether to punch him or hug him. "Keep running!" He yelled as he guided her to the clearing. She wordlessly turned on her heels and kept pace with Pete who was still holding her arm. She heard her horse running in a different direction and she thought she felt hot, damp breath at the base of her neck. Pete took a couple of more strides before he grabbed her by the waist and jumped the last few feet towards the clearing. They fell on warm, green grass and continued to move away from the forest, stumbling ungracefully on their hands and knees. Myka dismounted Inti and ran to her friends while Claudia, who was further back, did the same.

Myka grabbed a hold of Helena and Pete's arms and helped them to a standing position. She did a quick inventory of each of them and released the breath she had been holding when she saw that apart from some scrapes and bruises, they were no worse for wear.

"Pete, what happened? Are you alright?" She said; her eyes darting every few seconds to the forest, half expecting some crazed, oversized wild boar to come out and shred them to pieces.

"I'm fine…something just knocked me off my saddle" He said, as he massaged his sore neck. "I don't think I've ever ran so fast in my life…I was about to clear the forest when I saw Rambo here, guns a-blazing about to get herself killed." He explained, looking at Helena with worry and appreciation, just now realizing that she had put her life at risk to go looking for him.

"Thanks for that H.G." He said sincerely.

Myka looked at Helena, shaking her head in frustration as she turned and made her way back to her horse.

"What could I have possibly done now?" Helena barked at no one in particular as she eyed Myka's retreating form.

Claudia ran past the aggravated curly haired agent and jumped into Pete's arms. He hugged her back with the same force before placing her back on the ground and loosening his grip. After she let go of him, she quickly straightened the jacket he had given her and punched him lightly on the arm, trying to appear like her stoic self again and failing miserably. She then turned to Helena and walked up to her. Both of them, not being innately touchy or sentimental people, squared their shoulders in preparation for what was about to come. They awkwardly put their arms around each other " That. Was. Awesome." Claudia whispered before she pulled back, giving her friend a small, appreciative smile.

"Well, I didn't quite think that one through, now did I?" The inventor chastised herself "It appears that I should be the one thanking you, Peter." She said as she turned to look at the dark eyed man.

Pete walked over to her and placed a firm hand on her shoulder, giving her a grave stare before speaking, "If you never call me Peter again, we can call it even" He proposed, his deadpan stare still in place.

"Agent Lattimer" She replied with a slight nod and a small quirk of her lips before making her way to the others.

"A simple 'Pete' will do, you know" He spoke out to her retreating back.

"Ok guys, how are we sure that poltergeist in there won't be chasing after us and use our bones as toothpicks?" Claudia mused nervously as she patted her horse's sweaty neck.

"There has never been a report of it leaving the woods, I think it simply can't to be honest with you" Roberto replied as he mounted his horse.

"-We should be safe out here" He continued when he settled himself in his saddle.

"It's getting dark, we should not waste any more time" Adriana warned, calming her horse with a steady hand and turning to search the forest's depths with forlorn eyes.

"What about the horses? Do you think they'll be alright?" Helena tentatively asked, feeling incredibly guilty she had most likely led the stallion to his death.

"They know their way back to the village. I'm sure they'll be fine" Roberto reassured, focusing on Adriana who was mounting her white mare with heavy set shoulders. The horses had been born in the estate and Adriana had raised them all from birth.

"I'm sure you're right my friend." She answered with an uneven smile and extended her arm out to Pete in a tacit invitation to ride with her. Helena closed her eyes, feeling even more foolish confronted with their guide's obvious pain.

"Come on H.G. you can ride with me the rest of the way" Claudia provided helpfully, guiding Supay towards her forlorn looking friend.

The inventor looked at the small horse and cringed inwardly, directing a hopeful glance at Myka who had already remounted her own, bigger, horse and who was at the moment doing a wonderful job of ignoring her. When she saw Amaru lead his horse her way, obviously intent on offering to share his saddle, the writer immediately grabbed the young tech's hand and with some effort climbed behind her. The ride to the estate was going to be torture on her back, she knew; and as she watched Amaru ride up to Myka who greeted him with a soft smile, she knew that it was going to be trying on her patience as well.

...

Thanks for all your comments guys. As always, feedback is greatly appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Empire of the Sun: Chapter 4

Rating: R just in case (K+)

Summary: The agents are sent to the ancient ruins of Machu Pichu for a possible Warehouse emergency. (I suck at summaries)

Pairings: Myka/H.G.

Disclaimer 1: Warehouse 13 and characters are not mine, just playing around with them.

Disclaimer 2: To anyone who is from Peru, I apologize for making some stuff up. I did do some research but for story purposes, I had to use my imagination :) I've been there once a few years ago and completely fell in love with the country.

Disclaimer 3: First fan fic so any feedback and constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated.

Author's note: The events here take place aprox. one year after Helena joins the Warehouse and assume she decided not to go along with the whole blowing up the world incident. So, no Steve Jinks (for now).

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to read and also to everyone who sent me feedback...you're awesome! :)

…..

To call the 'San Rafael Estate' huge was an understatement to say the least. It seemed to be bigger than the town they had first arrived at although there were considerably less people living here. The first area they were ushered to was a large courtyard surrounded by small but pleasant looking living quarters. These were the rooms that were rented out to tourists, although at the moment they seemed to be vacant.

They were each shown to their rooms by Marcos, one of the farmers who had opened the gates when they had first arrived.

Myka smiled gratefully at the young farmer when he opened the door to her room and handed her the key.

"Gracias" She said as she walked in and settled her bag on the bed. The room was small, with a single bed opposite the window, a small night stand next to it, a door leading to what she assumed was the bathroom and a stone chimney on the far corner. It was simple yet cozy and inviting. She placed her bag on a large wooden chest at the foot of the bed and stared longingly at the dark blue sheets as she heard her partner brusquely open her door.

"I cannot believe there's no tv here" He complained as he plunked down on the bed and rested his upper body against the headboard as he took out his iPhone from his pocket. "No internet either" He mumbled dejectedly.

Myka simply raised an eyebrow at her friend while she opened her bag and started organizing her clothes on the bed.

"You know what I can't believe? We are in a country we've never been to before, surrounded by beautiful landscapes, interesting people; we barely escaped being shredded to pieces by some mythical forest creature yet, all you can think about is television?" She reprimanded the sour looking agent.

"What? There's a game on tonight" He explained pathetically.

Before she could give him one of her patented eye rolls, there was a knock on the partially opened door. Both agents looked up to see a small, beady eyed man impishly smiling at them while he almost comically clapped his hands together in delight. His big, blue eyes darted skittishly from Myka to Pete and back again making both agents practically squirm under the slightly off kilter gaze.

"Hello,hello?…you must be the agents Dr. Amaru has been talking none stop about…come here, come here" He waved them over with small hands. Pete awkwardly got up from the bed and made his way over to the shorter man as he extended an uneasy hand towards what he assumed was their host, Gustavo.

"Er, hi, I'm -"

"Agent Peter Lattimer yes, yes" The older man interrupted as he enthusiastically grabbed his hand and pulled him in for a hug.

"Whoa" Pete groaned as he felt his lungs being crushed. The short man patted Pete on the shoulder and turned his unusual blue eyes to Myka who in turn gave him a helpless wide-eyed look.

"Ah, and you must be Agent Myka Bering." He said as he approached the tall woman and gave her a hug of her own. "I am Gustavo Bingham, ever at your service."

Myka extricated herself as politely as possible from the man's death grip and gave him an unsure smile.

"How is my dear friend Arthur these days? Still the same ray of sunshine he's always been, I gather". He said as he plucked non-existent lint from Myka's collar with delicate fingers.

That garnered him a smirk from the curly haired agent and a full blown grin from her partner. "You're friends with Artie?" Pete asked disbelievingly, incapable of imagining this flamboyant, extrovert together with his grim, antisocial boss.

"Yes, well, I wouldn't call us friends exactly but we do have a…a history of sorts. I used to help him once in a while; back when he was in the Secret Service…Oh, I do have fond memories of those days…I'm afraid Arthur isn't of the same mind set. I believe he thought I was a bit too odd" Gustavo mused, staring into space. Pete and Myka looked at each other, and then back at the strange man, opening their mouths to say something and fill the awkward silence that followed his last statement, when Gustavo made a humming noise that apparently snapped him back to reality. Both agents jumped at the sudden change in his demeanor.

"Well now, shall we head out to the bar area…I believe the others are waiting for us. We don't want to keep anyone waiting, especially not Soraya" He exclaimed gleefully as he turned without a glance back and headed out.

Myka mouthed an inaudible 'Wow', as Pete scratched his head and stared after their host.

"If this guy was too weird for Artie, then we're in trouble" He said as he ushered his partner out.

"Yeap, you better keep an eye on him" Myka suggested as she closed the door to her room.

"Me? What happened to the 'us' in this partnership?" He protested.

"Nuh-uh, I had to babysit crazy bird lady last time; remember? She literally thought she was a bird…so, now you get Gollum" She murmured under her breath as they approached the bar which was under a canopy at the far side of the courtyard.

Claudia, H.G., Roberto and Adriana were being served drinks. The partners watched as Gustavo practically leaped into Adriana's and Roberto's arms, giving them each a warm hug. From where they were, he looked like an excited twelve year old boy finally being allowed out to play with his friends.

Gustavo was immediately handed a blue drink from the man behind the bar and without missing a beat, he gave a surprised looking Claudia a kiss on both cheeks and then stood in front of a dour looking H.G. Wells.

"Oh,oh" Pete and Myka both exclaimed as they hurried to catch up to Gustavo who appeared to be having a minor stroke.

"This, you, you...this is truly miraculous" He remarked as he stared in wonderment at the inventor who in turn raised a skeptic eyebrow.

"I've seen my share of remarkable things…but, to meet _the_ H.G. Wells…This is truly a day to remember. I have been forever a fan of yours...ever since I was a small boy" He confessed as he practically jumped in his spot.

H.G. closely observed the sixty something year old man and couldn't help but feel anything but ancient. She abruptly shot out her hand when she saw the strange man make a move to hug her. Gustavo stared at the hand as if perplexed at its meaning but smiled graciously as he took it and sloppily kissed it.

"Charmed" H.G. greeted wryly, almost regretting not accepting the hug.

She heard a small snort from somewhere to her left and saw Pete obviously trying to hold in a laughing fit, while Myka was covering a smile and looking at something to her right.

"Yes, well, shall we get on with business? I dare say we are on a tight schedule" Helena encouraged as she not so gracefully took back her hand from Gustavo and took a calming drink of her lemonade.

"Of course, of course...you are absolutely right Agent Wells. We mustn't keep Soraya waiting." Gustavo agreed.

"Who's this Soraya?" Claudia asked as she twirled her straw and finished her drink.

"Why, she is the reason you are all here of course. I think she's been expecting you…we can't get near her without her getting all riled up. We had to lock her up down in the catacombs a few weeks ago" Gustavo explained with nonchalance.

"What?!" Was the collective reaction.

"It is not what you think" Adriana quickly interjected.

"Soraya is Hiram Bingham's rifle…Gustavo just likes to name the artifacts he gets to keep" She finished.

"And why shouldn't I? They each have a personality of their own. And right now I'm so terribly afraid for Soraya." He finished dejectedly as he placed his untouched drink on the counter and buried his face in his hands, sighing dramatically and making all the agents roll their eyes in response.

"So, where can we find er- Soraya?" Pete asked as he placed his lemonade on the counter beside Gustavo's.

"Ah yes!" Gustavo raised his head quickly and walked over to H.G. before unceremoniously linking their arms together and guiding her out of the courtyard.

H.G. looked back at the others, giving them an uncharacteristic helpless look before taking a deep breath and allowing herself to be directed to the rifle.

They walked for about twenty minutes, passing by the main house which was in essence, a large manor which seemed deserted and in need of a good clean.

"Does Gustavo actually live in there?" Myka questioned Adriana as she looked at the broken windows and decaying pillars.

"Yes, it is the only place in the entire estate that is off limits to anyone but him. He spends most of his time in there, doing God knows what." She explained and seeing the dubious look on the agent's face continued.

"He really is a sweet man…he has never been comfortable around people and no one really understands him…he has led a difficult life and he is a lonely man. I think he used to be relatively normal but, who can stay normal living the life we live?" Adriana mused as way of explanation.

Myka felt a shiver run up her spine at their guide's statement and looked over at Gustavo who was standing beside a rickety old shack, holding Helena's hand like a small child and looking for something on the ground.

When they finally caught up to them, Myka saw that he had actually been searching for a wooden door which was well hidden in the brush. The old man reverently brushed away the grass and stared up at Roberto with an expectant look. The archeologist simply stretched and took off his jacket, handing it to Adriana.

"Now that's what I'm talking about" Claudia mumbled and felt Myka bump shoulders with her.

"Focus" Myka whispered, her impish smile belying the warning tone.

"I am focusing" Claudia protested.

"On the artifact" Myka corrected.

"Oh, right…gotcha" She smiled knowingly at Myka who squinted in mock anger and proceeded to walk over to the rest of the group.

After a few seconds of pulling, Roberto, with Pete's help, finally got the door to open. The agents looked straight down into a narrow pitch black hole. There were wooden stairs that were embedded into the rock and which were necessary to climb straight down into the darkness.

"We'll have to climb down one at a time" Roberto stated after a few seconds, taking back his jacket from Adriana and removing a flashlight from one of its pockets, handing it to H.G. who was closest to him.

Myka saw the almost imperceptible shake of the inventor's hand as she was handed the flashlight.

"Is it necessary for all of us to go down there?" Myka questioned, knowing how the inventor hated dark, confined spaces.

"We don't know what's down there Myka, I say the more the merrier" Helena chimed in a little too eagerly for Myka.

The inventor turned on her flashlight and crouched down, directing the light into the narrow tunnel. "How far down is it?" She questioned when she couldn't make out the end of the passage.

"The tunnels start at about 10 feet from ground level…uh, but I asked my men to take Soraya down as far down as they could…she's been acting up so" Gustavo explained as he handed Adriana and Pete flashlights of their own.

"And how deep is that?" Pete asked as he crouched down beside the author.

At Pete's question, Adriana turned to Manuel who had been following them and translated Pete's question. After he finished replying, Adriana turned around slowly; none of them liked the expression on her face.

"He says that they took the rifle about 30 feet under, to one of the deepest chambers that they know of" She translated for the agents.

"How lovely" Helena murmured to herself as she took a deep breath and turned to get her right foot on the first step.

"Well, there's no point in dawdling" She said as she took one step and then another until all she could see was the light from her flashlight reflecting off the stone wall in front of her. She felt her back touch the other side of the wall and couldn't help but be transported back to the bronze coffin which had been her prison for more than a century. She forced herself to take deep breaths, remembering Claudia's exercises from the previous night. It seemed an eternity before her feet finally touched the ground and as soon as they did, she turned and saw that the tunnel in which she was now in led into even more pitch blackness. She leaned her frame against the cool stone and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the others coming down the steps.

"Hey, Helena, you okay?" The inventor smiled to herself at the sound of the other woman's voice. She felt a tentative hand on her back, making slow, calming circles. She had directed her flashlight towards the ground and it appeared that Myka had not yet turned hers on, so she could barely make out the agent's face but she could most certainly feel her worry. Not wanting to alarm the younger agent, she took another calming breath and stepped back from the wall and gave the other woman a weak albeit genuine smile.

"Are we friends once more?" She questioned playfully, although Myka could see the hopefulness behind the façade.

"We never stopped" Myka assured with her own smile, resigning herself to the writer's charm. The situation they had been in did not help anyone and they were on a mission right now and she needed her partner back; her brooding and heart break could wait.

"Then all is right with the world and I couldn't be better" She remarked happily as she walked past her friend and into the tunnel, leaving a smiling Myka to stare after her retreating form and before she could convince herself otherwise, she called out.

"Helena?"

"Yes Myka?" Helena turned, directing her light towards the younger woman.

"You can ask for help, you know?-you can ask _me_ for help." Myka rephrased her statement at the last second.

Helena immediately knew she was referring to her little stunt in the woods and felt instantly abashed at her actions.

"If something were to happen to you…you don't have to run off and leave us behind, that's all" Myka finished and nervously waited for the author to reply.

"Ow! Pete, my foot!" Myka heard Claudia complain behind her and the moment was broken.

"Sorry" Pete apologized as he brushed passed Myka and made room for Amaru, Manuel and Adriana.

"Where's Gustavo, Is he not coming?" She asked when she noticed his absence.

"Yeah, Gustavo isn't one for climbing into dark holes and getting dirty" Adriana explained as she helped Manuel down.

"Surprise, surprise" was Pete's dry response as he made room for the farmer who would be guiding them to their destination.

The catacombs, besides being dark and confined, also appeared to be endless. There was the main corridor, which branched out into a dozen other smaller tunnels and chambers which in return led way to a network of other tunnels. Pete was keeping himself busy by shining a light into every annexed chamber and making fun of the graffiti some of the local teenagers had drawn on the walls. It seemed that this sector of the catacombs was a choice drinking spot for some of the bolder kids.

"The catacombs used to lead all the way to the coast and were how they got the newly arrived slaves to the Hacienda. About 50 years ago there was a landslide and now the passage is blocked" Adriana explained more to distract them from the claustrophobia than anything else.

"Manuel, Si no le importa que le pregunte; ¿Por qué decidieron traer el rifle acá? ¿No hubiera sido más fácil y práctico guardarlo en otro lugar…digamos, en la superficie?" Helena asked in a perfect accent, stunning just about everyone. Manuel turned around and smiled appreciatively at the inventor.

"You speak Spanish? When were you going to let us in on that?" Claudia asked from behind her.

"We must never reveal all our secrets at once my dear Claudia; where's the fun in that?" She playfully jested before continuing. "I used to spend my childhood summers at my aunt's summer home in Madrid. Charles used to loath going there so, I naturally came to love it. The people, the food, the language.." She left the sentence hanging, a nostalgic look taking over her features.

Manuel waited for them to finish as he looked on with an indugent smile. When he surmised the conversation had ended, he went on to answer the writer's previously asked question.

"Well, it appears Soraya has gone stark raving mad and has tried to escape the Hacienda several times, injuring a few of its employees. It is one of the most powerful artifacts they have here and Gustavo decided to stow it away using Francisco Chavelilla's chains" Helena translated.

"Who's Francisco Chavelilla?" Myka asked.

Adriana answered from the back of the line, "He was one of the first slaves to organize a revolt against the priests. His attempts weren't very successful and he was caught more than once. He managed to escape many times over until the priests decided to cut one of his feet and make special chains just for him, imprisoning him in one of the chambers down here. He lived for many more years but he never escaped again and he died in here in darkness and alone. His attempt at an uprising prompted a more organized and supported movement by the slaves though." She finished, purposefully ending the tale on a more positive note.

"What's so special about these chains?" Pete was the one to ask this time.

"Well, once you get them around anything; it immobilizes it and forces it into submission; it literally takes away ones will to live and fight back" Roberto explained.

"So Francisco spent half his life stuck in this place? Whoa, that's-that's awful - I can't even imagine what that'd be like." Claudia mused, taking a deep breath and fighting the claustrophobia the tight tunnels prompted in her.

Manuel stopped and turned left where they were met with a narrow hole in the wall. Myka, who was behind Helena, placed a delicate hand on her friend's stiff back and leaned closer to her. "Are we all good here?" She whispered.

H.G. shook her head almost imperceptibly and turned dejected eyes toward her friend. "I'm afraid I can imagine all too well what Francisco went through; although his despair must have been much greater, I imagine" She whispered back, grabbing onto the younger woman's hand and using it as a tether to the here and now.

Myka scowled at the inventor's words, "Why would you say that?" She asked.

"Because he didn't deserve this" She replied giving her a mirthless smile as she squeezed the hand in her own and reluctantly let go as she turned and started to speak to Manuel as Myka looked disbelievingly at her.

"It appears we must climb through this hole in the wall" H.G. stated with little enthusiasm; although, her previous mood was nowhere to be found.

Manuel was the first to go in and the rest soon followed. They had to crawl on their hands and knees but thankfully, it appeared that the tunnel wasn't too long. They were soon standing in one of the biggest chambers they had been in so far. Pete was helping Adriana out of the hole when they heard a low moan coming from somewhere within the other tunnels.

"Pete?"

"Yeah, Claude?"

"Please tell me that was your stomach"

All seven of them were motionless, trying to discern where the noise was coming from; Roberto had not even come out of the small tunnel, his head sticking out of the hole in an almost comical manner.

After a few seconds, they heard the moan again, mingled with the sound of chains being smashed against the wall and then it seemed like something was dragging itself across the floor. All the noises intensified as they echoed against the walls around them.

"Whatever that it is, it sounds pissed." Claudia exclaimed.

"Where's the rifle?" Pete asked Manuel, who turned to look at Adriana.

"It's in one of these chambers ahead" She answered after listening to the farmer.

The dragging noise soon led way to despaired pounding and whaling. Manuel leaped in surprise and started to ramble in Spanish as he headed for the tunnel entrance. Roberto stopped him, grabbing him by shoulders and tried to settle him down.

Myka looked over at Pete and they simultaneously took out their Tesla's from their holsters. "We need to get to the rifle" Myka proclaimed. Adriana nodded and turned to ask Manuel for instructions, not wanting to force the obviously scared young man anywhere he didn't want to go.

"Okay, Manuel is going to head out and look for help in case we need it. More men will be coming down just in case." Adriana announced as she proceeded to lead them all deeper into the tunnels.

Adriana took a series of short tunnels and as they delved deeper into the darkness the moans and pounding kept getting louder, shaking the foundation around them. Adriana was the only one who had left her flashlight on and as they neared a small door-like opening she wisely turned it off. They were now in complete darkness; all they could hear was the thrash of the chains against the wall and an inhuman wailing. Myka grabbed Pete by the forearm as he did the same with Helena. Myka led them to the front of the line and squeezed her partner's arm three times. The curly haired agent then turned on her flashlight and immediately turned the corner to shine light in the small room. All three agents stepped in at the same time - their Teslas at the ready - to find themselves face to face with some sort of creature which appeared to form part of the darkness enveloping them. Feeling someone in the chamber with it, the shadow creature turned and gave a horrendous and piercing screech, forcing the agents to cover their ears to protect them from the unbearable sound.

"What the hell is that?!" Screamed Pete over the loud shrieking.

Bracing herself, Myka uncovered her ears and shone her light on the dark figure. It seemed to have several eyes and mouths, but as it moved effortlessly across the walls, it changed shape and altered its features, never staying the same. First two heads, then one, five arms, then three. It appear to be grinning and snarling at them at the same time. As the light hit it, it screamed yet again in fury and thrashed against the wall, grabbing the rifle which was still held safely within the chains. Taking advantage of the light Pete and H.G. aimed for the creature and fired their Tesla's at it. The shadow gave one final excruciating scream and disappeared through one of the walls.

"Where'd it go, where'd it go?!" A flustered Pete asked as he moved his head in every direction searching for the creature.

"Come, we must get the rifle before it decides to return" Helena prompted as she headed for the far wall.

Claudia, Amaru and Adriana ran into the room, having heard everything that went on. Claudia armed with her Tesla walked up to Myka and took a stance as Adriana jogged up to H.G. and unclasped a necklace from around her neck.

Helena grabbed the chains, using her jacket to hold them and immediately saw the lock and presented it to the Latina who inserted the small key hanging from her necklace. The lock opened with ease but, the rifle instantly struggled against Adriana's grasp and it took both women to wrap it in the small blanket Adriana had packed with her. Helena smiled proudly and directed her gaze at the others to prompt them to leave the dreadful place when from behind Pete she saw the shadow creature lurch out of the darkness and grab the unsuspecting agent.

Pete yelled out in surprise as he felt himself being lifted off the ground, and then catapulted through the air.

"Pete!" Myka called out her partner's name as she once again aimed her Tesla at the creature which was crawling on the ceiling above them, dragging Pete with claw like hands. As the group pointed their flashlights at it, it quickly moved away from the light and rushed through a wall. Unfortunately, Pete had not assimilated the beings ability to travel through solid matter and he decidedly hit the rock wall with a loud thud. He fell to the floor and gave a long, painful groan.

Myka and Claudia ran up to the hurt agent and gently turned him over. "Pete, Pete, say something" Claudia pleaded as she saw blood gushing from a wound on her friend's head.

Myka proceeded to take off her jacket and rip the inner layer, using the fabric to apply pressure to the cut.

Hearing his friend's fearful voices, Pete forced himself to open a painfully heavy eyelid. "Claude? Mykes?" He questioned groggily.

"Yes, hey it's us" Myka gently whispered, trying to keep her tears at bay. Claudia wasn't having any luck though; her cheeks now completely tearstained after the relief at seeing the agent open his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Myka inquired as she brushed back some of the damp hair from his forehead and continued to apply pressure to the wound.

"I think I hit my head" He exclaimed as he placed his hand over the cut on his head.

"Ow!" He hissed when he applied pressure to it.

The other two agents grinned inanely at their complaining friend. "You'll be fine…you have a hard head on you" Myka lightly teased as she guided the agent's hand to the fabric over his head and wordlessly encouraged him to take a hold of it.

"Come on, let's get you on your feet" she said as she encircled his waist with her arm.

"How's Peter?" Helena asked as she and Adriana were trying to strap the rifle onto Roberto's backpack.

"It's Pete, remember? And I'm fine…let's get outta here."

"Just one more second" Adriana said with frustration as she attached the last strap over the rifle. Before being able to lock it in place, the rifle tried one final time to escape, hitting Adriana square in the face and propelling her and H.G. backwards. The writer hit the wall and as she got up to tend to the other woman, the chains shot out and wrapped around her wrist. She immediately fell to her knees and looked up in despair.

"Helena!" Adriana sat up, trying to make eye contact with the hazy-eyed woman.

Myka had seen everything as if in slow motion and she found herself running across the room to the inventor's side. Amaru got there first and gently moved Adriana out of the way. She was bleeding profusely through what appeared to be a broken nose.

Myka kneeled down and cupped Helena's face, gazing up at empty eyes. "No,no,no…Helena?"

…

Helena felt a prickling sensation at her wrist; it wasn't necessarily a disagreeable feeling, but as it spread through her arm and chest, she felt the first pangs of inconsolable despair claim her. She had thought she had no more light left in her but as the effects of the chains started to pulse their way into her body and mind, she was coming to realize how dreadfully wrong she had been. Images of Christina, her parents, her brother and friends flashed across her mind's eye and then were ripped apart and in their place unknown faces -deformed, bloodied and despaired- were shown to her. As she looked up, she saw that she was surrounded by these nameless people, each confessing in a crazed, delirious manner, some horrible deed they had committed in their life time. She was at once victim and victimizer, reliving each horrible scene. One crime mingled with another until her senses and her mind could not take it anymore.

…..

Only a few seconds had gone by since Myka had gone to Helena's aid. Her heart clenched and her stomach dropped to see how quickly the artifact was taking a hold of her friend. She was pale and sweat-soaked; her breathing was coming out erratically and her unfocused eyes were at once pained and panicked.

Amaru was at the moment trying to stem the flow of blood coming from Adriana's nose with a handkerchief but the Latina hastily swatted Amaru's hand out of the way. She proceeded to grab her flashlight and look down, frantically searching for something on the ground.

Myka turned to look at the woman, her eyes widening in realization.

"The key! Where's the key Adriana?!" She forcefully asked.

"I-I-I dropped it" She stammered, as she knelt on the ground and started to search with her hands as well.

Amaru dropped the handkerchief as he turned on his own flashlight and dropped down on hands and knees. "Talk to her Myka" He stated decisively.

Pete ran up to the two Peruvians and without a word, started searching for the key as an armed Claudia made her way over to the two female agents and knelt in front of them, keeping an eye out for the shadow creature which was still on the loose.

"Helena, look at me" Myka encouraged as she gingerly guided the author's head up so that they could be at eye level. "We're getting you out, just…just fight this, please" She almost begged the agent.

Through the torment that was surrounding her, Helena thought she heard an echo of an echo. Some wondrous memory she had thought lost in the centuries she had been trapped in this hell. She took a deep breath in, what felt like, the first time in forever and a warm, tender yet powerful feeling passed through her like a light breeze. It was then she remembered: Myka, Claudia, Pete, Lena, Artie, Warehouse 13 and her new life there. She looked up and even though she was still surrounded by her tormentors, the anguish was more bearable now, and she could block out most of the torturous images.

A flash of a shadow in the corner of the room suddenly caught her eye and as she turned, she saw a young woman, devoid of legs, drag herself towards her. As she came closer, Helena could see that she had been severely burned. The little hair she had left, was falling in clumps to the floor, leaving behind a bleeding and puss ridden scalp. Her nose was almost none existent and her upper lip was split in two, showing off rotting teeth. None of this frightened Helena more than the tears that were falling down the woman's scarred face. She moaned and whaled and cried in pain and as she grabbed onto Helena's shin, the writer could just make out a woeful plea through all the indiscernible sounds: "Help me".

Terror shot through her for even though the face before her was unrecognizable; those dark eyes - so hopeful and perceptive - so very similar to her own when she had been a young girl – were impossible to forget.

"Claudia?"

…..

"Find the key now!" Myka barked at the group behind her. Helena's body, it seemed, had lost all its energy and had simply slid down unto the floor, her arm still held up by the chain. Myka, with Claudia's help, gently placed the woman's head on her thighs. A horror filled gasp escaped both the Warehouse agent and the young tech as they saw a small trickle of blood coming out of the inventor's nose and mouth.

"Here" Claudia whispered as she cleaned away the blood with one of the clean shreds of fabric Myka had used on Pete. "She'd kill us if we let her clothes get stained" She offered hoarsely, not allowing herself to think of any other alternative then getting their friend back, safe and sound.

"Helena, come on. Wake up, wake up…Wake up!" Myka had lost all pretense of keeping it together.

Helena's dark eyes obliged and shot open. The writer gasped and coughed, choking on her blood. She forced herself to spit out what was left and then, still breathing heavily, leaned her head back onto Myka's thighs as she looked up. Myka - not for the first time that day - cried tears of relief. She smiled down at Helena, tenderly smoothing the inventor's tousled hair. Helena's eyes softened at the sight of the disheveled agent but, the moment was broken as soon as she remembered where she had been; the horrific images of the young redhead flashing through her mind and overwhelming her once more. "Claudia!" She called out as she sat up and searched for her young friend.

The tech, who had been privy to the interaction between the two women and who had been swimming in relief, started at Helena's desperate tone. She saw Helena sit up to search for her but before she could appease the agitated woman's worries, she felt two rough, icecold hands encircle her upper body and drag her violently into the maze of tunnels, her friend's terror stricken faces were the last thing she saw before darkness engulfed her.

...

Thanks guys!


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Empire of the Sun: Chapter 5

Rating: R just in case (K+)

Summary: The agents are sent to the ancient ruins of Machu Pichu for a possible Warehouse emergency. (I suck at summaries)

Pairings: Myka/H.G.

Disclaimer 1: Warehouse 13 and characters are not mine, just playing around with them.

Disclaimer 2: To anyone who is from Peru, I apologize for making some stuff up. I did do some research but for story purposes, I had to use my imagination :) I've been there once a few years ago and completely fell in love with the country.

Disclaimer 3: First fan fic so any feedback and constructive critcism will be greatly appreciated.

Author's note: The events here take place aprox. one year after Helena joins the Warehouse and assume she decided not to go along with the whole blowing up the world incident. So, no Steve Jinks (for now).

To everyone who sent me feedback; thank you so much and sorry I haven't gotten around to replying (work is killing me).

There isn't much HG/Myka interaction in this one. But, it's coming…I promise!

There is a reference from the film "The Goonies" (I think I explicitly mention it at one point). If you haven't seen it, what are you waiting for? :)

…

"Claudia!" Pete yelled out as he ran across the room in vain; the young woman having been dragged out at break neck speed. He quickly turned on his flashlight and without a backwards glance, headed out of the dark chamber in search of his friend.

Helena felt Myka's body instinctively jerk at her partner's departure and took a hold of the younger woman's wrist with slightly trembling fingers as she gently applied pressure to get her attention. "Go" She breathed out when Myka turned worried eyes towards her. "I'll be fine, go get Claudia" She encouraged as Myka's feature's turned forlorn and dubious. Myka grabbed her friend's hand and squeezed it gingerly before getting up and running towards where Pete had disappeared to.

Adriana and Gustavo stared on in horror, their search for the key having been completely forgotten in light of recent events.

"Yes? Hello? Still trapped in an endless sea of despair here" Helena choked out, forcing herself to a kneeling position and leaning heavily against the wall.

"Mierda" Adriana cursed under her breath as she and the archeologist resumed their frantic search. After what seemed like endless minutes, Roberto gave out an elated laugh and held the newly found key up to his light. He ran up to the author and taking care not to touch the chains opened them. H.G. immediately wrenched her wrist free, instantly feeling the effects of the artifact disappear, though she doubted the memories would leave her quite so easily.

"We must go after them" A breathless Helena stated, her eyes fixed on the chamber opening. Focusing her will power on what felt like inanimate legs, she used the two guides as leverage and hauled herself up.

"Are you okay to walk?" A worried archeologist asked as he helped steady the queasy looking writer.

After several seconds, H.G. answered: "I think I can manage walking…but I'm afraid we're going to have to make a run for it" Was her reply, when she heard her friend's agitated shouts getting nearer.

….

"Pete!" Myka called out to her partner.

"Mykes! I'm over here" Myka turned a bend and saw Pete waiting for her, his flashlight searching for any evidence of Claudia's whereabouts.

"She could be anywhere, damn it!" He cursed in frustration after he directed his light towards three different tunnel entrances.

Myka walked up to the first one and searched the ground while Pete did the same near the second tunnel. Before they could make up their minds, a bright light came from deep within the second tunnel and momentarily blinded the two Warehouse agents who used their hands to block the glaring light from their eyes. Just as suddenly, they heard a deep howl followed by the young tech's voice, cursing to the four winds.

"Claudia!" Both agents called out, hearing the girl running towards the entrance.

They ran into the tunnel and as they turned yet another corner they gave out a sigh of relief. Claudia was running towards them, a strange looking device strapped to her belt from which two blinding lights had been turned to illuminate the darkness behind her.

"I pissed it off! I pissed it off! Ahhhh!" She yelled out as she grabbed the two agent's forearms and without stopping, turned them around and hauled them along the tunnel. They heard yet another piercing screech from somewhere close by and the two agents reacted by grabbing the young tech's elbows and picking up their speed.

They soon reached the chamber entrance where the rifle had been chained in and to their relief the others were already waiting outside for them.

"Run!" All three Warehouse employees hollered at once.

They were soon making their way back to the catacomb's entrance. Adriana at the lead, followed closely by H.G., Myka, Pete, Roberto and Claudia who still had the device's lights on, keeping the creature at bay.

"I can't hear it anymore; do you think it's still following us?" Pete asked as he was helping Adriana into the narrow hole in the wall.

"Ohhh…it's still following us alright" Claudia assured "But, as long as we keep to the light I think we'll be alright" She tried to remain positive but, as soon as she uttered the words, the lights from the contraption flickered and gave out, leaving them bathed in the dimmer light of their flashlights.

"Ooof course" The young tech grumbled dejectedly.

"Move! Move! Move!" Roberto urged as they made their way into the small hole.

Pete was the last one to go through and soon he was the only one left in the narrow tunnel, the others waiting impatiently on the other side. The agent only had a few feet to go when he felt the creature behind him; a wet, clammy hand, pulling at his right foot, trying to drag him back. He clumsily aimed his tesla at it - his movements impeded by the enclosed space - and fired.

"Pete!" He heard Myka's worried voice but, the hand was at his ankle again. Just as he was about to be pulled back by the irate shadow, two pairs of callused hands came into view from the tunnel's entrance and grabbed his arms, hauling him out. A group of the Hacienda's farmers, including Manuel, had arrived and were currently helping the struggling agent. They yelled out instructions and motioned for the agent to continue on his way out of the tunnels.

Pete felt blood start to trickle anew across his brow and his world tilted to one side but, before he could fall on his face; Roberto wrapped strong arms around him and half carried, half dragged him the rest of the way.

They reached the wooden stairs that led up to the surface and he found himself climbing them, more from inertia than anything else. As soon as his head was out of the catacombs a gush of cool breeze hit him square in the face, the night air a balm to his aching head.

He dragged himself a few feet on hands and knees and looked up, making sure everyone in his group was accounted for.

Roberto had just climbed out of the catacombs and was crouching beside Adriana who was waiting anxiously for the farmers that had stayed behind; Claudia was making her way over to him, while Myka gave him a relieved smile from her crouching position in front of a woozy looking H.G.

The three farmers who had gone in quickly made their way out of the catacombs and as soon as the last one was in the clear, Manuel shut the door. Gustavo, who had appeared out of nowhere, calmly placed a small stone on the door.

"There, that should do the trick." He announced with a whimsical smile. They all gave a start when they heard the creature smashing against the door several times but it appeared that the small stone was keeping it trapped inside.

"Claudia, that device you had on you…it was simply amazing. Thank God you had the foresight to take it with you" Adriana praised the Warehouse tech who at the moment was helping Pete up.

"Well, I can't take all the credit" She humbly replied as she turned to a grinning Pete.

"Goonies!" They both blurted out in singsong as they bumped fists.

When all they were met with were confused stares, she continued; "Well, as soon as they told us we were heading into a deep, dark, scary mountain I kinda took inspiration from one of the classics and made my version of a 'Bully Blinder'…turns out…batteries still don't last that long" She continued as she sat Pete beside Helena who gave them a weak smile; having no clue as to what they were referring to but who was ever so grateful they were all there, in one peace.

"Helena?" The writer turned tired eyes to a disheveled looking Myka, her small smile still in place. "What happened down there? What-what did you see?" The younger agent prompted as she examined H.G's hurt wrist. The writer shook her head slowly, looking down at the delicate hands soothing away the pain; "I-I can't quite say…but, I think it is imperative that we send our young apprentice back to the Warehouse" She mused as she turned her focus to an affronted looking Claudia.

"Wait-What? Come on H.G. I totally kicked ass down there" She tried to reason.

"I am not arguing your merits in the tunnels darling; it's just-I believe the chains granted me a vision of what is to become of you if you do stay." She countered, her mind on the horrible vision of her young friend, burned and limbless, dragging herself across the floor while she cried in pain and terror.

Before Claudia and the other agents could ask the inventor to explain herself, Gustavo clapped his hands together to garner everyone's attention.

"Well, I must say that was quite the adventure" He proclaimed, earning raised eyebrows from the bruised and battered group. "I say we get you all back to your rooms where you can freshen up – I'll get my Physician to come see you all - and we'll meet back in the courtyard, say at ten o'clock on the dot? Oh! I have such a wonderful surprise for you all." He exclaimed excitedly as he practically jumped up and down in his spot.

…

"Ow,ow,ow!" Was the first thing Helena heard when she opened the door to Myka's room. She was welcomed by the sight of Pete who was sitting on Myka's bed while a coppered skinned man with long black hair was finishing adjusting some gauze over the agent's injured head. Claudia was sprawled on the bed behind him, skimming through an old magazine and Myka in turn was leaning against the far wall, the bathroom's low lights making her features indistinguishable.

As she walked into the room, the man looked up and gave her a warm smile before giving Pete's dressing a once over and standing up. "Hello, I'm Doctor Arpasi" He introduced himself to the agent as he offered his hand.

"Agent Helena Wells" She replied, giving the hand a confident shake before taking a look around. It appeared that Pete had dragged his mattress over from his quarters and had placed it on the floor near the foot of the bed while Claudia had brought over her overnight bag; her pajamas and personal belongings haphazardly strewn about the room.

"What's this then? We're having a sleepover, are we?" The writer inquired with a mirthful smile.

"That thing down in the tunnels is gunning for us so I decided that the best thing for me to do is to keep watch and protect the hen house" Pete explained smugly as he wiped his nose in what he apparently thought was a manly fashion. Helena simply crinkled her nose at her friend's gesture.

"Pffft….right" Claudia scoffed sarcastically, her eyes still focused on the magazine.

"Pete has a slight concussion and we have to keep an eye on him for tonight" Myka offered as she stepped closer to the group. With the light no longer at her back, H.G. could now see that the younger agent had already been attended to by the doctor. She had some sort of white, viscous liquid plastered on the cuts on her face giving her a comical yet childish appearance.

"Just ignore it" Myka said with a small, bashful grin; seeing her friend's amused smile and effectively stopping the writer from whatever quip she was about to throw her way.

Helena raised her hands up in capitulation, her smile still in place.

"Agent Wells, Ms. Fernandez mentioned you have been under the effects of Francisco Chavelilla's chains. I must say, it's been awhile since I treated someone who stumbled upon those ghastly things." Doctor Arpasi stated as he pointed to her wrist, wordlessly asking for permission to examine it.

Helena gave a heavy sigh and sat down on the bed beside Pete; presenting her wrist to the Doctor. After a few moments in which Arpasi poked and prodded the injured wrist, he continued to speak; "Physically, you should be fine; I'm more worried about how the whole ordeal left you feeling."

"I'll live" The agent stated dryly.

Sensing that the young woman wasn't one for chatting, the doctor tried to remain silent…and failed, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Adriana also mentioned that you actually countered the effects of the chains; you escaped the mental prison it had created for you…that, that - well to be honest with you, Agent Wells – that is something unheard of." He exclaimed.

H.G. looked up at the doctor then, really seeing the dark skinned man for the first time. He was probably in his mid-fifties, with long dark hair and a weather beaten face. It was obvious he had not been a doctor his whole life, his callused hands giving away his farming roots all too easily. He was applying some sort of ointment to her injured wrist, skillfully massaging it into her skin.

"Do you mind telling me how you achieved this?" He asked while he took out some dressing and began wrapping her wrist.

Helena's eyes shot up to meet Myka's before quickly looking away. "I-I heard one of my fellow agents calling out to me and I just had to come back." She declared matter-of-factly.

At the statement, both Pete and Claudia gave Myka furtive glances; catching a small lopsided smile form on her face as she rubbed the back of her neck in self-awareness.

The doctor made a noncommittal sound at the statement while he secured the dressing.

Myka cleared her throat and decided to break the tense silence that followed.

"Doctor, have you ever heard of the chains presenting someone with a glimpse of the future?" She tentatively inquired; the image of Helena shouting out Claudia's name in a panic after she awoke ever present in her mind. The doctor turned his attention to the slender agent.

"From what I have been told when I was a young boy; the chains find many ways to break their captive…it is very possible that they showed Agent Wells an undetermined and appalling future." He explained. "Or, it could have simply conjured up an awful scenario based on her fears. There is no way of knowing; but let us hope it is the latter." He smiled, trying to ease the group's obvious anxiousness.

"So, H.G., mind telling me what you saw? I mean, it must have been something pretty harsh if you're actually considering sending me back to the Warehouse and depriving yourselves of my awesomeness." Claudia tried to joke but failed miserably, her nervousness all too apparent in her voice.

Helena turned to focus her attention on her young friend, a disheartened look in her eyes. "What H.G.? Am I going to burst into flames or something?" Claudia prodded with a doubtful smile, still trying to keep appearances but, as she noticed Helena withdraw and look away at her statement she instantly felt her stomach drop.

"Oh" The redhead softly exclaimed in realization.

"No Claudia, but you were so terribly injured and you had been severely burned…I-I didn't even recognize you until you were close enough that I could make out your eyes". Helena said, deciding that it was best, in the end, that the young girl acknowledged the gravity of the situation.

"Look guys, I'm sure that whatever H.G. saw was some hocus pocus voodoo stint the chains conjured up to screw with her. You want to know what's really scary? The conversation we're about to have with 'El Capitano' back at the Warehouse. He's going to have a freaking field day with us." Pete interceded, trying to keep his friends focused on the present and refusing to consider the possibility that his young friend was in any real danger.

The three women in the room cringed at the thought of having to talk to Artie now. They had yet to tell him they had not gone to Cusco as ordered and, after almost getting themselves killed several times over, Artie was most definitely not going to be pleased.

…..

"Do you mind telling me where the hell you've been? I've been trying to reach you for the past twenty three hours! Of all the inconsiderate, selfish…" Artie's grumbling became unintelligible after that and the three agents and Warehouse tech waited with guilty faces while the custodian vented his frustration. After a few – long - minutes of this, Artie finally took a calming breath to center himself. "Okay, so I assume you've reached Cusco by now. What's our status?" He asked.

Pete, Helena and Claudia all turned to look at Myka, decidedly sealing her fate.

"We-um- we're not in Cusco" The agent stammered, once again rubbing the back of her neck.

"I beg your pardon?" Artie replied in a calm voice which only served to fuel the group's anxiousness. "My ears must be getting the better of me at my old age because I thought I heard you say you're not in Cusco?" He continued, his voice getting louder with each word articulated.

"Yeah, we're in Chincha" Myka confessed quickly.

"Just like a band aid" Claudia whispered to Myka as she patted her on the shoulder.

"What?!"

...

The next thirty minutes were filled with some a lot of yelling –mostly from Artie- and feeble and stuttering attempts at an explanation – all from the Warehouse crew. After they finally got their story out, Artie serenely removed his eyeglasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Okay, the good news is that we now definitely know that somebody is trying to get whatever artifact is in Hauyna Picchu and that they haven't been able to do so so far. Let us assume that the only way he could get to said artifact is with this rifle. So no rifle, no artifact; that means we have the advantage. So! This is what we're going to do. You're going to haul your insubordinate behinds to Cusco. There's an airport there so Claudia, you're gettingt on the first flight out to Lima-"

"Bu-"

"Uh-huh, no buts…you see this right here?" He stated, gesturing to himself "This is me about to have an aneurism. So, you are marching yourself right over and the rest of you…get the artifact and get back here ASAP." He finished.

"Sure Artie, we'll head over to Cusco first thing tomorrow." Pete conceded, not wanting to say anything that would set Artie off again.

"Oh and one more thing" The older man exclaimed before Pete could close his Farnsworth.

The group waited expectantly for more ear pulling. "Be careful…please" Artie's eyes softened at his last words. "And for God's sake keep me updated."

...

"Ouch. That was painful." Claudia deadpanned as she got up from her place at the foot of the bed and went over to the window.

"Guys, we have company" She continued and after a few seconds there was a knock at the door.

Myka walked over and opened it, Amaru and Dr. Arpasi stood outside; wide grins on their faces.

"What is it?" Myka questioned, a smile of her own gracing her face; the men's goofy grins contagious.

"Remember Gustavo saying he had a surprise for us?" Roberto reminded the younger woman.

"Yeeeah" Myka answered apprehensively.

"You have to get out here now" Roberto's smile getting impossibly wider, giving his distinct face a child-like quality.

He enthusiastically took a hold of Myka's forearm when he saw her hesitate and guided her out of the room.

"Take care of those cuts Agent Bering, remember to apply the lotion at least twice a day; Gustavo would never forgive me if there was needless scarring on such a striking face." Dr. Arpasi recommended as the pair walked by him.

"Roberto wait, I have to get this stuff off my face" Myka stated, remembering the white liquid the doctor had applied earlier.

"Come now, there's no need for that. You look perfect." Rodrigo assured enthusiastically, as he gently pulled her over to the bar area.

Myka gave the back of his head a lopsided grin and shook her own head from side to side in resignation. It appeared that the Doctor could turn into a ten year old boy when he got excited; a charming ten year old boy, she had to admit to herself.

"I don't think I can handle another surprise" Claudia half – droned, following them out just the same, excitement and curiosity beating out trepidation.

"Awesome! I love surprises" Pete chimed in with his usual overeagerness.

"Don't we all, darling." Helena replied in a decidedly less cheerful, more ironic tone as she followed him out and closed the door behind her.

...

Thanks again for taking the time to read!


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Empire of the Sun

Rating: R just in case (K+)

Summary: The agents are sent to the ancient ruins of Machu Pichu for a possible Warehouse emergency. (I suck at summaries)

Pairings: Myka/H.G.

Disclaimer 1: Warehouse 13 and characters are not mine, just playing around with them.

Disclaimer 2: To anyone who is from Peru, I apologize for making some stuff up. I did do some research but for story purposes, I had to use my imagination :) I've been there once a few years ago and completely fell in love with the country.

Disclaimer 3: First fan fic so any feedback and constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated.

Author's note: The events here take place aprox. one year after Helena joins the Warehouse and assume she decided not to go along with the whole blowing up the world incident. So, no Steve Jinks (for now).

Final Note: I just want to apologize for taking so long with this. I moved to a new apartment and I just recently found the energy to finish this chapter. I'm going to make the next chapters shorter so, I'll be able to post them more regularly. Thanks soooo much for all your feedback. This one is kind of a slow chapter but I promise the next chapters will pick up speed.

/

Drums, that was the first thing Pete heard when he stepped out into the courtyard. It was primal yet graceful; so much so that the agent couldn't help but bob his head to the rhythm.

"Pete, come look at this" He heard his partner's awestruck voice. He picked up his pace, half walking, half jogging to reach Myka and Roberto.

He made his way behind the bar at the far end of the courtyard. There, the cement floor gave way to dirt laden ground. The area was about twice the size of the courtyard and it seemed that the entire Hacienda was congregated around a large campfire. Some of the younger men were unearthing some large stones from a hole in the ground while another group dressed in loose-fitting white pants and long sleeved shirts were seated on some strange looking wooden blocks while they rapped expertly on them, creating the beat that had them all so enthralled.

Pete bumped shoulders with Myka and directed his chin towards Adriana who sat on the other side of the campfire her, a large gauze over her nose, secluded from most everyone else except for three grave looking men who stood watch around her. She was holding Soraya, still bundled up in the blanket. She had drawn first watch over the rifle and apparently the three large men had been chosen to keep an eye on her in return.

"What are they playing?" A captivated Myka asked after making sure the rifle was being looked after.

"It's called the 'Alcatraz' ; it's an Afro-Peruvian dance played with the 'Peruvian cajon'-" The archaeologist explained as he pointed to the hollow wooden blocks the men were sitting on.

As he talked, a group of five women dressed in white knee high skirts and white blouses walked out in single file, swaying their hips to the rhythm of the ever increasing beat. From the other side of the campfire five men, also dressed in white and holding lit candles, walked out in similar fashion. As both groups met, they divided up into pairs and their dancing became increasingly more sensual.

"I don't know what I'm watching, but I am digging this!" Pete remarked with a toothy grin beside Myka. With a quirk of her lip at her partner's statement, Myka noticed Claudia, H.G and doctor Arpasi join the group on the other side of the campfire.

"See, now the men will try to light the tissue that hangs from the women's skirts, but neither must lose their rhythm. If the man achieves lighting the tissue, then that means she is his."

He finished with a proud smile, obviously thrilled at being able to share this part of his culture with the other Warehouse agents.

/

"So! How are we doing? Are we enjoying tonight's entertainment?"

"Gaaah!" Claudia yelped at Gustavo's unexpected entry.

"You seriously gotta stop doing that." She muttered a little annoyed; the young woman's nerves still on end from the day's events.

"It is quite fascinating, I must say." Helena smoothed over as she gave a winning smile to the short man who beamed in delight.

"Mr. Bingham-" Helena began to inquire.

"Gustavo, please." He interrupted.

"Er, yes-Gustavo, May I inquire where that small stone you trapped the shade with came from? I am assuming it is an artifact, yes? That shadow creature launched Agent Lattimer across a room and then it disappeared through a rock wall. Both of which I thought impossible before tonight yet, somehow that unpretentious stone kept it from flying through the door or simply breaking through it." She mused.

"Ah yes, the stone of Javier Ramirez is indeed an artifact, Agent Wells. It was actually the first time I've used it to tell you the truth, I'm so glad it worked." He stated distractedly, his attention on the men taking out the large stones from the ground.

"Who's Javier Ramirez?" Claudia asked, the name nowhere near ringing a bell.

"He was a simple miner, no one of importance, or at least that is what everyone who met him thought...until the day he died." Arpasi interceded, seeing that Gustavo's attention was elsewhere.

"What did he do?" Claudia asked, her attention focused on the doctor despite everything going on around her.

"He saved eight people from being buried alive a few years ago in a mine not far from here. One of the survivors claims that Javier, who had been outside on his lunch break, went in searching for his friends after the mine collapsed. He lifted a huge boulder that was blocking the entrance and descended down the mine shaft where he helped free the men that were trapped below. Unfortunately, the same boulder Javiar had lifted with such ease came loose and crushed him. The strength of eight men wasn't enough to lift it off him. The stone you saw today came off of that boulder; one of the young men he saved kept it as a reminder of his bravery and handed it over to Gustavo when he realized that if placed near a door or entryway, it was impossible for someone to cross it." The Doctor finished.

"Woah" Claudia breathed out. It was so easy to forget that artifacts could be made at any moment by any one event or person. You just needed to be at the right place at the right time.

Her musings were interrupted by loud cheering. One of the women who had been dancing had made her way over to Pete and was nimbly guiding him to the center of the group where he was handed a candle by one of the men and given an encouraging pat on the shoulder. Two men stood on either side of the agent and proceeded to teach him how to move his hips and feet. While he certainly moved with confidence, Pete's dancing was anything but graceful. Myka inwardly cringed at her partner's moves but couldn't help being caught up in all the festivities. She clapped, smiled and whistled encouragingly at her friend.

As Roberto watched the young agent laugh at Pete's antics, his breath caught and his usual confidence disappeared along with his ability to think clearly it seemed as he saw himself move to face the young agent. Myka looked at the tall man with a curious face, her smile still in place. Hoping he wasn't making too much of an ass of himself; Roberto grabbed a handkerchief he kept in his pocket, making a show of unfurling it with a flourish and placing it in the waist band of his jeans. Myka guffawed at the older man and shook her head in disbelief when she realized what he was about to do.

"Agent Bering, May I have the honor of this dance?" He asked, somehow showing more confidence than he felt.

"I can't believe it" A laughing agent replied,

"What?" The doctor asked as he looked down at himself.

"I can dance just as well as any of those women" He jokingly boasted as he pointed to the group behind them.

"No, it's not that...you keep a handkerchief? Really? How old are you?" She teased.

Roberto stepped closer to her, an exaggerated haughty expression on his face, "Old enough to be completely comfortable showing off these moves" He smirked as he slowly started to move his hips in wide circles making Myka burst into laughter again.

"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about" he hollered out as he stepped into the circle of dancers. Myka shook her head again as Roberto neared Pete. Both men, swept up in the music and their mutual silliness, started to partake in the dance as a pair. Their dance moves encouraged others to join in and pretty soon most of the Hacienda was dancing next to the campfire.

Myka walked up to Roberto who offered her a candle and playfully lit it. Myka's laughter ceased though when the archaeologist gently grabbed her hand and guided her closer to the other dancers; she swallowed hard, all of a sudden nervous.

/

"O.M.G. what's that smell?" Claudia was distracted from the spectacle that was Pete by the smell of meat and herbs.

"Oh yes, come dear, follow me." Gustavo quickly answered as he grabbed her by the hand and led her to the group of men who had been removing stones from the ground and who were now taking out large pieces of meat and placing them in dishes.

"This is part of the surprise...what's a good host to do if not offer his guests the best of cuisines" He questioned rhetorically as he grabbed a long fork and pierced a juicy slice and handed it to Claudia; the smells making her mouth instantly water.

"Must. Have." She said as she snatched the fork from the short man and practically inhaled the offered meat.

"This is sooo good, what is it?" She asked.

"Ah, that is cuy" He said after giving the skewered meat a closer look.

"I have no idea what you just said but I'm assuming it's Spanish for 'Most yummy thing ever'." The redhead exclaimed through a mouth full of food.

"Guinea Pig" Helena's smooth voice came from behind her causing Claudia to look back, what little was left of the slice already half way towards her open mouth.

"The what now?"

"Cuy?...Yes, I believe that's what they call Guinea Pig around these parts" Helena explained with a mirthful smile as she watched her young friend force herself to swallow the remnants of her food and slowly turn to hand the rest of the meat to a confused looking Gustavo as she headed off to the bar area and gulped down the first drink she could get her hands on.

"I am so going to give that to Pete and see if he finishes it off after I tell him it's Guinea Pig" Claudia proclaimed after drinking another glass of juice. "That is an experiment I'd be all too happy to partake in" The inventor said with a smile. "But first, I'm afraid I must ask you to help me with a small endeavor of my own." Helena finished so only Claudia would hear. At the remark, Claudia instantly straightened and directed her attention towards her dark-eyed friend.

"I'll need for you to distract our host for a few moments while I steal away." H.G. murmured as she inconspicuously looked over at the improvised dance area.

"Where are you going?" Claudia asked with a worried lilt to her voice.

"Well, I don't know about you darling but, I find our host to be a bit odd and even though I usually find that quite endearing in a person –" Helena said as she gave a playful nod to her young friend.

"Why thank you" Claudia quickly replied in her own exaggerated British accent.

"-there have been one too many incidents since our arrival and alas, I'm afraid to say my curiosity has gotten the best of me once more."

"You're going to break into his house." Claudia's question came out sounding more like a statement.

"Of course." Was the prompt reply, accompanied by an expectant and confident look at the redhead.

"Count me in…You know I love it when you guys ask me to help you commit felonies" She deadpanned as she searched for Bingham.

Helena grinned at her friend and watched her make her way to Gustavo. The young tech grabbed his forearm and said something to him the writer couldn't make out. The small man gave her a wide smile and jumped up and down a few times before grabbing her by the hand and hauling her over to the impromptu dancing area. Claudia turned to the writer and mouthed a "You owe me" before accepting a tissue from one of the dancers.

Helena smiled once more at her friend and seeing that all eyes were on the pair, she stepped back into the shadows and turned in the direction of the manor.

/

Although the Hacienda had electricity in certain parts like the courtyard and the farmer's living quarters, it appeared that Gustavo did not deem it necessary to place any sort of light source in most areas. Luckily, H.G. had held on to the flashlight she had used in the catacombs earlier that day and she slowly, but steadily made her way through the uncertain terrain. After about twenty minutes and two embarrassing instances in which she almost fell flat on her face, she could finally make out the large manor's silhouette. She circled the front side of the house, checking if any of the doors and windows were open, but with no luck. She directed her light to the second floor and smiled to herself when she saw a broken window. She proceeded to expertly climb the side of the house, using a broken down fenced wall to reach the window. Balancing herself on the wall, she took off her jacket and used it to clear the broken window of small shards of glass and placing her jacket back on, she climbed in.

The first thing that hit her was an acrid smell that made her eyes instantly water. She got up and used her flashlight to pinpoint the source. The room appeared to be a graveyard for different species of plants and these were clearly the source of the foul odor. She found it odd that a dead plant could emit such a distasteful smell but upon closer inspection, she could see that the dried leaves and roots were suppurating an oily, grey substance. Something had clearly killed them. Careful not to touch anything in the room, Helena stepped back and searched for the door. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was the only thing in the room that hadn't been invaded by the dead shrubbery.

As she exited the room, she found herself in a long hallway with several doors on each side. But, it was the door at the far end that demanded her attention. It was made of dark brown mahogany and in the middle there was a large golden sun. She neared the door and delicately placed her hand on the ornament. It was real gold. Helena's hand fell to the handle and turned.

"Ballocks!" She cursed under her breath when the door didn't open. She searched through her pockets until she found the hook pin she almost usually always took with her on missions. The inventor smiled triumphantly after a few short minutes when she heard the unmistakable click of the lock. She opened the door and quickly scanned the room with her flashlight; her delicate mouth opened slightly in awe and gave way to a surprised gasp.

/

Myka cheered in delight when she finally got her candle to light the handkerchief hanging from Roberto's back pocket. It was a lot harder than she had thought it would be but, she had been one of the first to achieve it. Roberto smiled back at her and quickly discarded the charred cloth. The dancers gave a loud cheer as well and congratulated the pair with loud clapping.

"You know what this means, yes?" Roberto inquired, a small almost shy smile adorning his face.

"Ummm…I,I, you,.." A flustered Myka was at a loss for words.

Roberto stepped closer to Myka and gently took the lit candle from her motionless hand; bending down to blow on the small flame. Myka's heart gave an unexpected skip at the older man's proximity.

"It means –" he continued, ignoring Myka's almost panicked expression. "-you get first pickings." He finished with an even wider smile, nodding over to the men who were still taking out meat from the large hole in the earth.

Myka nodded and opened her mouth to say something, anything. She didn't know if she was relieved or disappointed that what she thought was going to happen didn't. Before she could speak though, she felt someone bump into her. She turned and saw a dancing Claudia giving her a pleading look. When Claudia moved positions, Myka could see why. Gustavo was clumsily dancing behind her, trying to light the long tissue and failing miserably. Her young friend had burn marks on the seat of her pants.

Myka turned once more to Roberto who was laughing good naturedly at the pair. "Can you give me a moment?" She politely excused herself. She walked up to Claudia who was still dancing, a pained expression on her face. "Ow! Watch it Gustavo!" She warned not for the first time.

"I'm sorry my dear. I'm afraid I'm a little out of practice…it's been such a long time since someone has asked me to dance." He said as he stopped dancing altogether and looked vacantly at some invisible point in the darkness. Claudia felt horrible then and was about to ask him to continue, when the short man gave a small jerk and looked at her again, his smile back in place.

"Ah! Agent Bering, I see you've had more luck than me." The small man congratulated.

"Yeah, well…I think Roberto was dancing slower than he should have." Myka said. "Could I steal Claudia away for a moment?" She politely asked, wanting just as much to talk to her friend as to change the subject.

"Of course"

Once they were out of ear shot, Myka wasted no time in coming down on her young friend.

"What are you up to?"

"What do you mean?" Replied an aloof looking Claudia.

"Oh come on. Dancing with Gustavo? You're up to something"

"I have no idea what you're talking about" The increasingly guilty looking redhead defended herself.

Myka searched their surroundings, looking for Claudia's usual accomplice.

"Where is she?" The agent asked, trying to keep her temper in check.

"Myka, you know when you ask questions you have to be more specific. It's secret agent Q&A 101." Claudia was clearly trying to avoid answering.

"Claudia!" Myka snapped.

"She's breaking into Gustavo's house" Claudia blurted out, practically seeing the fumes form above Myka's head.

"God damn it, H.G." Myka exhaled, looking around for Pete.

"Um, Myka? Where's Gustavo?" Claudia asked as she too searched the campfire area.

Myka caught sight of Pete flirting with one of the dancers but, Gustavo had disappeared without a trace.

"Claudia, go get Pete…I'll meet you at the house." Myka said as she turned and ran in search of H.G.

/

Helena stared in fascination at the collection of antiques spread out before her. She was greatly familiar with the majority of them since most seemed to be from the 1800's and from close and familiar people she had known in her past life. Her dear friend's Arthur Conan Doyle's pipe; her former lovers, Robert Louis Stevenson's eyeglasses, Mary Kingsley's cherished pocket watch. She could easily remember each and everyone of these objects. A small, nostalgic smile appeared on her face as her mind's eye conjured up memories long thought forgotten. She tentatively reached out to place her hand over the unique pipe but, stopped herself, not knowing if it had turned into an artifact.

"Don't worry Agent Wells, none of the objects in this room are artifacts…feel free to touch"

The soft voice made the agent jump from her spot and quickly turn around. Gustavo was standing in the middle of the room, a proud smile on his face.

"Gustavo, I…I" The inventor was at a loss for words. She had been caught red handed and had no excuse for being in the strange man's house.

At the woman's silence, Gustavo's smile broadened impossibly wider as he walked over to the agent and stopped beside her, grabbing the pipe and gently taking her hand and placing it there.

"I used to think that history seemed to cast a light on people and events, making them seem grander than they could have ever really been but once I started collecting and investigating, I came to realize that sometimes people come into this world who are larger than life; who change the course of things for better or worse, with big events and small." He explained as he guided a subdued Helena to another part of the room. He opened a door and enthusiastically ushered her in. What Helena saw there took her breath away once more. She felt like she had been transported in time. Much of the furniture and objects in it had belonged to her family long ago. Her mother's large wooden wardrobe stood impeccably in the corner of the room. The time traveler walked slowly up to it and reverently opened its doors. Her mother's dresses carefully wrapped in plastic hung from old wooden hangers. Closing the door suddenly on the memories that bombarded her, Helena turned and stared at the small man; her question all too apparent on her face.

"As you can see, history has always been an obsession of mine…particularly the 1800`s. In my humble opinion, the most gifted and fascinating people have emerged from those years - you of course being amongst them. I started collecting the Wells' family possessions along with other greatly renowned families as soon as I was old enough to spend my inheritance. Here, come, come…there is still more to show." He exclaimed with excitement as he led her over to another part of the room. Helena could see that there were other items not belonging to her family strewn about the space. Most of the furniture and objects were covered by dusty looking sheets. When they arrived at the far wall, the writer saw a wooden door about the size of a large window. Indeed, she had thought that that was exactly what it was until Gustavo opened it and showed her what lay behind.

"My father's sword collection." She exhaled in awe.

Her father had inherited from his father a small but impressive sword collection and he had added some very beautiful and coveted items to it. She had spent hours with her brothers looking at them, imagining great stories of adventure and romance. She quickly stepped closer and looked back at Bingham, silently asking for permission. It seemed that old habits died hard. Her father's sword collection was the one thing the Wells children were prohibited to touch and it was the one rule Helena never dared break.

Gustavo smiled indulgently at her and motioned for her to get closer. As she had done before with her mother's dresses, the writer carefully placed her hand on one of the sheathed swords. She felt Gustavo move around the room but, she did not find it in her to turn around. She did not want to leave this moment…it was the closest she had felt to her family since she had been released from her bronze prison. She heard Gustavo drag what was probably a chair next to her. He climbed on it and proceeded to extricate one of the swords from the wall.

He turned and handed it to the unusually quiet black haired woman. "Everything belonging to your family, it's yours of course..."

Helena shook her head in bewilderment. With the older man standing on the chair, at eye level with her, she was able to really see him for the first time. His unusual blue eyes shown back at her with kindness and excitement; she felt horrible for ever suspecting him of foul play.

"Gustavo…that's not nece—" She began to protest.

"Of course it is…you're the rightful owner by all means. I'll keep everything here, safe, until you feel ready to confront your past." He said.

Helena closed her mouth, amazed at how well the older man had read her.

"In the meantime, I would so love it if you would take this with you." He said as he handed her the sword.

"It's a Black Prince sword…light but powerful…I thought that maybe it would help you on your journey."

"A sword? That's a little old fashioned." The English woman remarked, although she took the sword just the same.

"Yes well, I prefer things to be old fashion…I'm thinking you might feel the same?" He quipped with a smile.

Helena smiled back in acquiescence as she unsheathed the light sword. It was impeccably kept. The black leather handle fit perfectly in her delicate hand. The blade was spotless and she could tell that it had recently been sharpened. Gustavo had been waiting to hand it to her, that was clear.

"Gustavo, I am sorry for my suspicions…they were unfounded. I should have never broken into your home."

"No need to apologies my dear Agent Wells. Most people think the worst of me…I am a bit odd, I must admit."

"Well, I do tend to find that quite endearing in a person." Helena answered sincerely, echoing the words she had uttered to Claudia not two hours before.

/

Myka ran as fast as she could towards the general direction of the house, her small flashlight not helping her visibility much in the pitch blackness of the night. She had to get to Helena and make sure she was alright…then she'd be able to kill her.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the large manor in the distance. As she neared, she heard Helena's unmistakable laugh causing her to stop dead in her tracks in order to pin point her location.

She quietly walked along the right side of the manor, to a small courtyard. There, she saw Gustavo sitting on a wooden bench, casually talking to H.G. who appeared to be wielding a sword, practicing on a large dead stump. The curly haired agent turned off her flashlight; The lights in one of the rooms behind them had been turned on and she could clearly see everything from her position. It wasn't a surprise to her that Helena was skilled with a sword but, the image of her gracefully wielding it made her breath catch. She was absolutely breathtaking. To top it all off, she was gracing Gustavo with a genuine smile. The first one she had seen in a long time and the sight of it made her heart ache. She needed to see her smile like that more often. Of course, nowadays all she seemed to manage to do was cause the older woman to scowl and pull away.

"Mykes?!" Pete's voice came from somewhere near the front of the house. She cringed when she heard it, knowing that Gustavo and H.G. were sure to spot her now.

Sure enough, Helena turned and squinted her way. "Myka? Is that you?" Helena asked as she placed the sword in the sheath she had strapped to her back.

"What are you doing here?" The older woman continued to ask as she made her way to her friend.

"What am I doing here? I could ask you the same thing." The taller agent responded defensively, grabbing the back of her neck in nervous habit.

"I was just having a lovely conversation with our host." Helena answered, knowing full well Myka knew what she had come here for.

"Here, I have something for you." The time traveler continued as she took something from her jean pocket, not giving the younger woman time to respond.

She lightly grabbed the woman's wrist and placed a thin, golden bracelet around it, small green rubies, that looked black in the dark, running along its length.

"Not to worry, it's mine. I didn't steal it my dear." She joked after she had clasped it. Myka had not expected the older woman to be in such a good mood and she most certainly wasn't expecting a gift so, all she could do was take turns staring dumbfounded at the bracelet and back up at Helena.

"Ah, speechless…just what I was going for." H.G. tried to brush away the gesture but she knew very well what she had given Myka. As soon as she had seen her mother's bracelet, images of Myka's emerald eyes had come to her. Granted she had planned to give it to her in a more appropriate setting, but she had seen the younger woman and as always…all of her plans had gone out the window.

"Oh, you found H.G…I thought she would be running from crazed farmers by now." Claudia interrupted the silence as she appeared from the corner of the house.

"Hilarious as always my dear Claudia but alas, I'm afraid my adventure came to an abrupt end."

"Really? Why's tha—oh" Claudia stopped in her tracks as she saw Gustavo appear from behind the writer.

"Hello Ms. Donavan. I see you got bored of dancing without me."

"She put me up to it!" Claudia barked, pointing to her mentor.

"No need to worry my young friend. Agent Wells and I have spoken and everything is 'out in the open' as they say" Bingham assured the young woman with a friendly laugh.

"You…had a conversation…with H.G….about feelings and stuff?" An incredulous Claudia questioned.

"Well, Mr. Bingham did most of the talking; I just stood and melted into a puddle of shame." H.G. corrected.

"Ah, that's sounds about right." Claudia replied.

"Guys! What the hell? Can you please tell me what we're doing here when there are hot dancers and food over there?" An exasperated Pete called out as he neared the group.

"Awesome! A sword! H.G. let me hold it" He quickly continued, oblivious to anything that had happened in his absence.

"Absolutely not, not under any circumstance, I'm quite taken with my limbs and I prefer they stay attached to my body thank you very much." H.G. replied only half serious.

"I know how to use a sword, H.G." An offended Pete rebuffed, tripping a few seconds later over a large branch.

"Your skills with the sword are not in question, your ability to stay afoot…well, that's a whole other matter now isn't it?" The writer easily shot back.

It was then Gustavo decided to intercede, sensing that the childish banter between the two friends would go on to no end if someone did not take it upon themselves to change the subject, "Well then, I propose we head back…after all, you are my guests of honor and since your journey continues tomorrow, I am determined that you all enjoy yourselves tonight."

After a few short minutes, which they used to organize their belongings, they started the trek back to the campfire. Helena had given into Pete's pleas and had relinquished her newly acquired sword under the condition he did not unsheathe it. Pete, Claudia and Gustavo had gotten a few paces ahead of her, all of them engrossed with her new weapon. H.G. smiled at them, allowing herself to take in the moment for the first time since she had arrived to Peru. She felt a light pressure on her wrist and she turned to look at Myka. The taller woman was giving her a sad look, causing the writer to stop walking.

"Myka? What is it?" She questioned with worry.

"H.G…I- the bracelet?" Myka had finally found her voice although it appeared that stringing words together to make complete sentences was still out of the question.

"It appears our friend Gustavo has impeccable taste…he purchased many of my families heirlooms…the bracelet belonged to my mother." She calmly explained as she traced delicate fingers over the item in question.

"Oh, Helena. I can't accept this." Myka whispered, grabbing the small bracelet, intent on taking it off.

"You can and you will." The time traveler insisted before ringing a hand through her dark hair and exhaling in exasperation. "Myka, I know I haven't been the most forthcoming person in regards to my feelings for you…or anything else for that matter…" At this a glassy eyed Myka gave her friend a bereaved smile. "But, you must know -at least I hope you do - you're the one person who knows me better than anyone else. You are my one true friend and I want you to have this small part of me, let me be able to give this to you…please."

Myka looked down at her gift and traced the rubies with a delicate finger. As she nodded almost timidly, she looked up at H.G. with a genuine smile who returned it in kind. But, before Myka could thank her friend, she felt warm arms wrap around her. Myka stood still for a few short moments; this was the first time the writer had ever initiated contact like this with her and so, H.G. had completely blindsided her for the second time tonight. The agent quickly relaxed into the embrace though and wrapped her own arms around the older woman. The embrace was easy and genuine. All of the tension and questions that had overwhelmed them the past few months seemed to dissipate like a bad dream. Whatever was going on between them, this felt right and at that moment, she felt like their friendship, their connection, could endure anything…even her broken heart.

They stood like that for several long seconds before H.G. cleared her throat and stepped back. Looking a little bashful but hiding it the best she could with a cocky smile, Helena turned her gaze towards Myka, taking the younger woman's wrist in her right hand, her next words belied the way she delicately traced her beloved mother's bracelet. "Well, I'm famished…how about we go get something to eat before heading to bed. Like our dear Mr. Bingham said 'our journey continues tomorrow.'"

/

Thanks guys..as always any and all feedback is appeciated.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Empire of the Sun

Rating: R just in case (K+)

Summary: The agents are sent to the ancient ruins of Machu Pichu for a possible Warehouse emergency. (I suck at summaries)

Pairings: Myka/H.G.

Disclaimer 1: Warehouse 13 and characters are not mine, just playing around with them.

Disclaimer 2: To anyone who is from Peru, I apologize for making some stuff up. I did do some research but for story purposes, I had to use my imagination :) I've been there once a few years ago and completely fell in love with the country.

Disclaimer 3: First fan fic so any feedback and constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated.

Author's notes:

1) The events here take place aprox. one year after Helena joins the Warehouse and assume she decided not to go along with the whole blowing up the world incident. So, no Steve Jinks (for now).

2) This is a short one guys. Very little Warehouse agents but, I needed this chapter to move things along. Next chapter will be longer, it will also have a lot more agent action aaaand it will be posted soon. Promise. ;)

3) Once again, thanks for all your feedback. It really helps out when I feel stuck. I just read it and it's super encouraging :)

/

It was a beautiful night, the stars shone brightly in the usually foggy sky. As Gustavo looked up from his balcony, a nostalgic smile appeared on his haggard face. He was known to keep to himself, to live in isolation from almost everyone. His solitude was something he dearly loved, although if this was an innate character trait or if it had sprung out of necessity since most people tended to keep him at arm's length, he couldn't say. But tonight, for the first time in a long time, the quiet saddened him. He missed the noise and excitement of the past couple of days. He inhaled deeply and smiled to himself before turning around and heading back to his study. He walked towards his desk, his usual energy missing from his gait. He sat down and looked at the sickly plant in front of him. The plague that had been attacking his crops and cherished gardens still puzzled him to no end. He grabbed the small transparent flask with the golden substance in it and proceeded to delicately pour it over the small plant which immediately turned green and straightened. A hopeful smile transformed his worn-out features, giving him a childlike mirth which quickly transformed into a disappointed scowl. The small plant had turned black and had practically disintegrated before his very eyes. Another failed attempt at saving his beloveds. He had an entire room which served as a reminder of his constant failures. With a loud sigh, his heart sank even further as his mind went back to that very afternoon.

/

"_Ah! Here we go!" Gustavo exclaimed proudly as he grabbed the white sheet and pulled back on it, revealing a large oak wardrobe. _

"_Is-Is that little Jackie's wardrobe?" A stunned Helena questioned as she neared the large piece of furniture. Sensing questioning eyes on her, she turned to her friends with an indulgent smile as she explained, "Jackie is- or I'm afraid to say, was - Clive Staple Lewis? His mother used to be an…- ah, I believe the term is Independent contractor- for Warehouse Twelve. I met Jackie when he was about two years old. Christina had been gone for a few years by then. I remember this wardrobe was in his nursery. How he loved to hide in here while her mother and I had tea… I hear he became a proficient author in his own right. I'm afraid I haven't gotten around to reading his works though." She finished wistfully. _

"_Why am I not surprised you used to have tea with C.S. Lewis' mother?" Myka half quipped as she walked over to Helena; looking at her with a smile before turning her attention to the Wardrobe. _

_They were back in Gustavo's home, in the same room where H.G.'s family's belongings were stored. They had woken up early and after an extensive breakfast had packed their bags and had followed Bingham over to his house. The fear of having to go back into the forest where they had first been attacked, weighing heavily on the group. But, the ever lighthearted Gustavo had told them not to worry and had insisted they join him at his manor. Now they stood in a semi-circle around the large wardrobe. _

"_Wait, wait…don't tell me. This is where he got his idea for the magic Wardrobe in his books…please, tell me it can get us the heck out of here." A hopeful Claudia intervened. _

"_Very good, my dear Miss Donavan. That is exactly what it is and it is precisely what it will do." A jovial Bingham cheered._

"_Sooo…Why couldn't we have just used this to get us over here in the first place?" A tired Pete inquired. _

"_I'm afraid this Wardrobe can only allow you to leave. Its doppelganger is in a small bed and breakfast in Cusco where it will take you. You will not be able to get back here this way. You'll have to cross the forest again or wait for spring when the rains come. Oh, please tell me you'll be back!" Gustavo practically begged as he grabbed unto Pete's sleeve. _

_Pete put his hand on the small man's shoulder, an easy joke on his lips, but upon seeing the hopefulness in his strange, blue eyes he bent down to be more at eyelevel with the older man and said, "We'll be back Gustavo". Pete's open and honest gaze, calmed Gustavo's anxiety and he simply clapped his hands together and bolted towards the Wardrobe. _

"_The owner of the Bed and Breakfast, Mrs. Rosa Rivera, is expecting you. She is also a Warehouse contact and I dare say she is a bit strange, although perfectly harmless, I assure you." _

_Myka and Pete as well as Claudia and H.G. shared bewildered looks and skeptic smiles. If someone was considered strange by Gustavo, then they were surely in for one heck of a ride. _

_They each said a heartfelt goodbye to their new friends, Gustavo and Adriana, as they stepped into the Wardrobe. The last one to head in was Roberto. Adriana held her friend's hand and smiled up at the tall man. _

"_Take good care of them, especially the little one…I see darkness in her future…in all our futures." She cautioned her friend. _

_Roberto looked into the Wardrobe, making sure the others were out of earshot. "Did you dream this?" He asked gravely. _

_A curt nod and the downward cast of her eyes was all the answer he needed. He held her by the shoulders, forcing the younger woman to look at him. She slowly gazed up, her eyes haunted by whatever she had seen last night. Ever since she was a little girl, she had been afflicted by premonitions in the form of dreams and nightmares. Although sporadic and discordant, they always preceded a great change in her life and the lives of those around her. _

"_I will look after them…do not worry my friend." He promised as he leaned in and gave her a brotherly kiss on the brow. _

_He turned to a worried looking Gustavo and leaned in to give the older man an affectionate hug before turning and walking into the Wardrobe._

_/_

That was the last time he had seen the agents and he had not heard any news on their whereabouts for the rest of the day. Extremely worried, he had decided to keep busy working on an antidote to save his crops and gardens. If he didn't find something soon, he was afraid the farmers and their families living in his estate would go hungry. He had concocted a formula with some of the artifacts with rejuvenating qualities and a mix of some homegrown vitamins and supplements to help the plants fight the disease but, it had strangely proven fruitless despite the artifacts' great powers. He looked at the golden substance for a few seconds before sealing the flask and placing it carefully on the desk in front of him.

The small man decided he would give the agents time to settle in and tomorrow morning he would call them to assuage his worries. Tomorrow, he would also ask Adriana for help with the crop problem and they would surely find a solution together. And tomorrow, he would find an artifact to get rid of the monster trapped in the catacombs. Feeling better with this in mind, his exhaustion made itself known. He sweetly caressed the remains of the withered plant, saying a silent goodbye, before turning off the light on his desk.

Gustavo found it strange that he saw colors before his eyes despite having turned off the only light in the room. He grabbed his throat, feeling tightness around it and realized there was a cold, thin wire around his neck. Instantly, there was more pressure applied to his windpipe. He felt blood trickle from the wound caused by the makeshift weapon. For the first time in his life, he found he wanted to be another. Someone bigger, braver than he. Gustavo felt his attacker behind him, overpowering his small, feeble frame. His great grandfather had been an adventurer. He had fought in wars and looked death in the eye many times. This was the first time he had ever been in any real peril and in his mind's eye he saw Hiram Bingham looking down at him with such disappointment. Feeling his body numb, he grabbed the vile that had been on the table and quickly and discretely placed it inside a hidden compartment in his coat. Whoever was his aggressor, he would not have access to the formula that could potentially hold the key to successfully combat wounds and decease.  
This small act of heroism gave his soul peace and as the colors faded and his eyes closed, he sent out a prayer to whoever was listening to protect those he was leaving behind. His last thoughts were of the night before. His friends surrounding him, laughing and content. Him dancing with a beautiful young woman; something he had never done before and something he had felt ashamed to admit until this very second. He smiled to himself as his memories went to that night, picturing the huge campfire. Its warmth enveloping him as he got nearer and nearer until there was only the flame and then nothing at all.

/

Helena was the first inside the wardrobe. It was empty and pitch black. She spread her arms outward, certain to hit the hard wooden posterior at any moment. Her hand hit something but it was definitely not hard. It was a cold, slimy substance which immediately engulfed her hand. Alarmed, the inventor gave a sharp gasp and pulled back quickly but found she couldn't free her hand. She felt the oily matter creep up her arm.

"Claudia, darling. How did one travel through the wardrobe in Lewis' books?" She asked, her claustrophobia taking a hold of her more rapidly than whatever was creeping up her arm.

"Umm, you just walked through and a few seconds later you were right smack in the middle of Narnia…why?"Claudia's voice could be heard a few feet behind.

"Well, it appears that my dear Jackie omitted a few things." H.G. commented as she felt the substance move to her shoulder. She felt smooth, calming fingers intertwine with her own.

"Myka?"

"I'm here." She heard her friend whisper beside her and then a small light almost blinded her sensitive eyes. Myka had turned on her pen light.

"What's going on up there? Is everything okay?" Pete's worried voice carried to them from behind the others.

Myka looked at the dark substance riding up Helena's arm and unconsciously moved closer to the smaller woman.

"Yes. Just be careful guys. It looks like the ride over there will be –" As Myka searched for the right word, she instinctively squeezed the writer's hand – "uncomfortable." She finished, not sure if she picked the best word to describe what was happening to Helena who was at the moment giving her a childish sneer. She clearly wasn't on board with her description of what was happening to her.

"Oh, yeah…I forgot to mention. Hold your breath and prepare to be grossed out." Roberto exclaimed from the back of the line, smacking himself mentally for having forgotten to warn the rest of the group about this very important detail.

"I'm going to bloody murder him." A fuming Helena promised under her breath as she felt the matter run up her neck and chin.  
"Shhh….come here." Myka's calm voice tried to soothe her friend.

The older woman felt Myka's arm wrap around her waist and she proceeded to gently nudge her forward clearly intending for both of them to cross the barrier together.

"Myka, don't you dare let go of me." Helena's voice was commanding yet Myka could hear the tremor in it.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Myka exclaimed gently as she held her breath and submerged her face into the cold, dark substance.

/

Thanks for reading this far. Any and all comments are welcomed!


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Empire of the Sun

Rating: R just in case (K+)

Summary: The agents continue on their quest to find a long lost artifact in Machu Picchu.

Pairings: Myka/H.G., Myka/Roberto

Disclaimer 1: Warehouse 13 and characters are not mine, just playing around with them.

Disclaimer 2: To anyone who is from Peru, I apologize for making some stuff up. I did do some research but for story purposes, I had to use my imagination :) I've been there once a few years ago and completely fell in love with the country.

Disclaimer 3: First fan fic so any feedback and constructive critcism will be greatly appreciated.

Author's note: The events here take place aprox. one year after Helena joins the Warehouse and assume she decided not to go along with the whole blowing up the world incident. So, no Steve Jinks (for now).

Important: This fanfic has not been beta'd so, I'm sorry for any mistakes (big or small).

As always, I love me some feedback.

/

Liquid ice down her throat, up her nose, through her eyes and in her ears…there was nothing else but the feel of the dark matter invading her immobilized body, yet some small part of her mind was aware that even though paralyzed, she was being pushed forward (or was it upward?) by some invisible force. She felt like screaming but that only made the substance press deeper into her body. And just like that, a new worry hit her: Vomiting in a suspended state whilst teleporting through C.S. Lewis' actual wardrobe.

'Will this job ever cease to amaze me?' She thought almost absentmindedly. 'Probably not' she immediately answered her own question as she concentrated on the arm linked with her own - H.G. Wells' arm to be exact. Her fear doubled as her thoughts turned to the woman – the incredibly claustrophobic woman - beside her. Was this how it had been like for the time traveler in the bronze prison? It was enough to make anyone go stark raven mad, she was sure…and she had only been here a couple of minutes…or so she hoped. There was no real way of telling how long they had been trapped in the world between the wardrobes. Even though logically she knew she could hold her breath only for so long, time seemed to stand still in this place. Just as she felt herself about to succumb to her panic, her black stained eyes surmised a bright orange light up ahead. She also noticed that they were picking up speed and it seemed the faster they went the more her body appeared to rid itself of the wardrobe's effects. She felt H.G.'s arm squeeze hers ever so lightly and she could now somewhat move the fingers of her right hand. Her relief was short lived though since the speed at which they were traveling at was bordering on breakneck. Before she knew it, they had reached the orange glow which she noted was really an open doorway. She barely had time to process all this before the wardrobe practically spit them out into a cold winter afternoon. She tried as best she could to break hers and Helena's fall, but to no avail. Her reflexes were sluggish at best and as she hit the floor with a loud thud she lost hold of Helena who fell a few feet beside her. She turned towards the smaller woman and grabbed her by the jacket as she started coughing up the remaining liquid from her lungs but before she could take her first real breath, a freezing pale of ice cold water hit her square in the face.

"Gaaaaaah!" She yelled from the shock as she sputtered up the water, gasping for breath and shivering from the cold.

"What…the…bloody…hell?!" She heard H.G. protest between strained gasps beside her.

"Settle down…it's just a bit of water, you big babies…If I don't get this filth of you now you'll be leaking black snot for weeks to come." A low, barely feminine voice warned as she felt another splash of water hit her. Then came unintelligible Spanish and the sound of someone turning a knob. Myka had her eyes closed but she was pretty sure that a hose had just been turned on. She was not happy to have her suspicions confirmed as she felt high pressured water hit her directly in the chest. She thought she heard children laughing but was distracted by a loud yelp and a sharp pain caused by an elbow to the ribs. Claudia had just been expelled from the wardrobe and had landed directly on top of her. She heard the young tech cough and then the inevitable surprised shriek triggered by the glacial water.

"Wait!" Myka almost pleaded as she carefully moved Claudia off of her and forced herself to her knees. The water kept on its assault though. She squinted bleary eyes towards her friends and saw that Helena had also gotten to her knees. The two women looked at each other and in silent agreement grabbed Claudia by the arms and with great effort, pulled her back a few feet, just in time to save her from being crushed by Pete and Roberto who practically flew out of the wardrobe and landed in a tangle of arms and legs.

The women turned to the sounds of delighted squealing and saw two little girls of about five and seven and a boy of around ten turn on another hose and spray the groaning men with water. Then their attention turned to a large, elderly woman who had just finished filling up a metal bucket with water and then proceeded to unceremoniously empty its contents over the two men, one of whom squealed like a little girl…making the children burst into laughter once more.

It was obvious that Roberto had done this before for all he did was give a dumbfounded looking Pete - who was under him - an encouraging pat on the chest and push himself to a sitting position. He clumsily took off his pack, jacket, socks and shoes and looked guiltily at the three women who were staring daggers at him.

"Nice to see you again, Pequeño." The old woman greeted as she poured water over the archeologist's head and proceeded to run rough fingers through his matted hair. She began to speak in Spanish as she helped him get rid of some of the goo from his face and hair and Roberto laughed at something she said as he rinsed out his mouth with some of the water from the almost empty bucket and spit it out a few seconds later.

"Everyone…this is Rosa Rivera, the owner of this lovely Bed and Breakfast. Over there is Pablo and Sofia and I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you, little one." He remarked as he stood and walked up to the youngest child, dropping to one knee in front of her; "My name is Roberto." He introduced himself with a friendly grin. The little girl's eyes opened wide and for a moment everyone thought she would bolt, but Rosa cleared her throat and raised an expectant eyebrow when the child looked doubtfully her way. Squaring her shoulders and taking a deep breath, the young girl looked directly at the kneeling man and extended her hand. "My name is Amanda." She greeted in almost perfect English, giving his hand three decisive shakes.

"That's right…no child of mine is going to be afraid of looking someone in the eye." Rosa grumbled as she walked over to the women and handed them some clean rags. "Get yourselves cleaned up...you can use the showers upstairs after you've removed all that gunk of off you." She instructed as she ushered the two girls into the house without a backwards glance.

"Arrg…I think that was the grossest thing that's ever happened to me…and I've been locked in a car with a gassy Pete." Claudia grumbled as she removed her gear and jacket discarding them on the ground with disgust.

"Umm, is there anywhere we can go clean up?" Myka asked as she saw Roberto remove his shirt. Pete, who was also shirtless and had started to unbuckle his belt -obviously intending to remove his pants regardless of who was watching- thought the remark was due to him and couldn't help try to make Myka squirm.

"Oh come on Mykes…it's not like you haven't seen me in my tighty whities before." Pete reminded his partner, giving her a mischievous grin.

Roberto looked up at the comment, his stunned expression apparent for all to see.

"Oh…no,no,no…Pete and I..we,we-" Myka tried to explain, but only managed to flail her arms lamely at the perturbing images Pete's words evoked. Claudia and Helena stared at their flustered friend and then looked questioningly at each other. Helena felt a pang of something not unlike jealousy faced with the fact that Myka found it necessary to explain away a romantic relationship to Roberto. It was blaringly clear to her that Myka's attraction to the older man was more than a passing infatuation.

"Ewww! Me and Mykes? No way!" Pete jumped in as soon as he realized what his joke had led Roberto to believe. "It was artifact related…we woke up together in the same bed with no memory of what happened…I thought I'd boinked Myka…it was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life." Pete assured.

"Hey!" An offended Myka protested.

"What? It's true" Her partner offered lamely.

Roberto smiled at the partners' banter, more relieved than he cared to admit, before directing his gaze to the far end of the large garden; "Well…umm…ladies, you can go behind the shack. You'll find another hose there and you can take a bucket with you, if you'd like." He proposed as he pointed behind the women.

"Lovely. Off we go then." H.G. cheered with a smile as she grabbed her gear and an empty bucket and headed towards the small shack. As soon as she turned though, the smile faded quickly and she looked up at the clear afternoon sky and closed her eyes in defeat. She knew all this was her doing; she had wanted this to happen, had she not? She reminded herself as she steadily walked on. Granted, Roberto did peeve her to no end but he seemed to be a good man and he was clearly fond of Myka. This was the best thing that could happen to all of them the time traveler assured herself as she turned the corner and placed the bucket on the ground while removing her gear. She crouched down to look at the contents in her bag and sighed profusely when she saw that her sword was covered in black matter despite the sheath's protection.

"What's up?" Myka inquired, startling the writer from her thoughts. H.G. stood and turned with a raised eyebrow. "You had your 'I'm not happy but I'm sure as hell not going to show it' smile on you" The taller woman carried on with a knowing smile of her own at seeing H.G.'s questioning expression.

The time traveler simply lifted the soiled sheath and sword, trying to wordlessly explain away her ill temper and not wanting Myka to realize the real reason behind it.

Before the unconvinced agent could question her friend further, Claudia rounded the corner. "Guys, can you come and take a look at my wrist? I think I sprained it." She groaned as she rubbed her wrist lightly.

"Let us take a look at it, shall we love?" A worried Helena walked passed Myka, relieved by the small distraction her young friend provided. She guided Claudia to a small wooden table that was pushed up against the shack and, after making sure it was stable, helped the Warehouse tech onto it.

"So, did anyone notice Amaru's mini stroke back there? Man, Mykes…I know you don't get much action - being married to the Warehouse and all - but when you lock and load you sure do aim high." Claudia joked.

Myka's attention shot to the two women to her left, the bucket she had been filling, completely forgotten. The redhead sitting on the table was giving her a mischievous grin while the brunette only gave her a fleeting glance before focusing once again on the young tech's wrist. The curly haired agent felt herself turn ten shades of red so she cleared her throat and bent to turn the water off; using the time to compose herself and to imagine all the ways she was going to make Claudia pay for her little joke.

"Claudia, there is nothing going on between Roberto and me." Myka assured as offhandedly as she could muster as she discarded her jacket.

"Oh please, you can cut the sexual tension with a knife….not to mention that the guy needs a drool bucket placed under him every time you walk by. It's kinda cute actually…plus he has the body of an Incan god!... Just saying you could do worse. He's totally going to ask you out after this is over, you know that right?" The redhead predicted, achieving her goal of making Myka turn impossibly redder.

Claudia had had preconceptions about Amaru when they had first met him but, these had faded the more she had gotten to know the older man. More importantly, she liked how Myka was around him. She seemed to be in a better mood and she smiled more, though (she had to admit) not as often or as earnestly as when she was in the presence of H.G….before they had fallen into their current funk, that is.

Claudia looked down at the strangely quiet time traveler. She was delicately and absentmindedly rubbing her aching wrist, her thoughts clearly somewhere far away. Claudia had become aware of the feelings Myka had developed for the Victorian writer some time ago but she could never seem to understand Helena where Myka was concerned. Claudia was sure the older woman cared fiercely and deeply for their friend yet, she could sometimes act so aloof and unyielding when faced with the curly haired woman's obvious feelings. Claudia wondered at this, not knowing if the time traveler did this to spare Myka's feelings or her own, she had no way of knowing…that is until she carefully extricated her wrist from the woman's gentle hold and moved it so that now she was the one holding Helena's hand gently in her own, giving it a tender squeeze. The time traveler looked up at this unexpected show of affection and Claudia's doubt disappeared in the span of a moment: Helena was undeniably, irrevocably and profoundly in love with Myka. "Shit, H.G.…" Claudia whispered in surprise as realization dawned on her. "You stupid, stupid woman." The apprentice couldn't help but scold her mentor as she grabbed her by the collar with her good hand and pulled at it twice to try and get her point across; making sure Myka (who was scrubbing the bracelet H.G. had given her clean) was out of earshot.

At Claudia's words, the author seemed to snap out of wherever she had retreated to and a dry, humorless laugh escaped her lips. Myka looked up from her crouching position then to hear Helena's next remark; "How right you are my dear Claudia…Ah well, I see my ploy to make you all think I'm at least mildly intelligent has come to an end." She joked wryly as she squeezed her friends hand and slowly backed up. "Your wrist seems to be fine…we'll ask Rosa for some ice and a painkiller and you'll be good as new come tomorrow morning." The inventor assured, confident that whatever had transpired between herself and her protégé would remain between them….although she knew she would have to talk to Claudia sooner or later.

Aware of two pairs of eyes on her, the time traveler casually walked up to the hose hanging from a hook on the side of the shack and wordlessly opened the rusty knob. Putting her finger on the hose's opening to keep most of the water from escaping, she turned to look at her friends who were giving her warning stares.

"Helenaaaa….don't you dare." Myka spoke in a low, warning tone but, a ghost of a smile and the small glimmer in her eye took away any real threat to her words.

"Well, you did hear Mrs. Rivera, did you not? We must get clean before we go in." She exclaimed in a singsong voice and directed the hose at Claudia who had jumped out of the table and was ready to take flight; although it was all for not, since Helena was too quick for the younger woman. The girl yelped meekly as soon as the spray of water hit her but after taking a few seconds to get used to the chill, decided to make the best of it. She took a clean cloth she had placed in her waistband and started to scrub her arms, neck and face; all the while Helena continued to spray her. Taking advantage of H.G.'s distraction, Myka grabbed the bucket and came up behind the inventor, easily pouring its contents directly over the shorter woman's head. The time traveler gasped loudly and did a very un-Helena like thing then, giving them an ear-full of English Victorian expletives as she dropped the hose and swerved around to face Myka while hugging herself against the cold, a look between shock and mock anger set on her face. Claudia in the meantime could be heard almost choking with laughter behind them.

"You started it" Myka - who was wearing a triumphant smile - reminded the dark haired woman before she could get a word out.

"I wa-was be-being proactive, dar-darling. Thi-this…was just…cruel" Helena protested between chattering teeth. Myka simply rolled her eyes at the remark as she took a step closer to Helena, reaching behind her to waistband in order to grab her cloth.

"I can't believe you know so many swear words…and I thought you were a proper Victorian lady." The green eyed agent reproached teasingly as she placed the cloth on Helena's temple and lightly wiped away the remaining goo from her face. How H.G. managed to look simultaneously abashed and out right proud of herself, was beyond the younger agent, but she couldn't help but laugh at the expression.

"How little you know me Myka Bering; I most certainly am not a proper Victorian lady…I bloody well know my way around a curse word or two." Helena continued with the banter, watching Myka's hands gently scrub her forearm with the cloth; the taller woman's playful demeanor making her feel at ease despite her closeness and the distracting, erratic beating of her heart.

"More like twenty" Myka corrected with a raised eyebrow.

Claudia looked on at the scene playing out before her as she walked towards the table and picked up her bag, searching through it to see if anything had spoiled on her inter-dimensional trip. She couldn't make out what they were saying but they were both wearing goofy grins. The time traveler was speaking while gesticulating excitedly and as she scrunched up her face, Myka burst into laughter. The taller woman shook her head in delighted disbelief as she took a step back and playfully grabbed Helena's hand, depositing the dirty cloth in it before turning and heading towards the bucket to finish washing up.

Helena turned and walked towards the redhead. Her head was bent as she concentrated on getting the black substance out of her hands, a whimsical smile slowly forming on her face.

"I can't believe one of the most brilliant minds on Earth –one of my personal heroes, mind you - is also actually the dumbest person on it." Claudia admonished once more, half serious, half in gest; and then tried to dodge the dirty cloth that was flung her way, but again H.G. Wells was too quick for her.

/

It was early evening when the team finished taking showers and cleaning out their gear; thankfully, none of which had been affected by the goo. Pete, Myka, H.G. and Roberto were waiting for their things to dry and would be heading out for Machu Picchu that very night while Claudia's plane to Lima was scheduled to depart late the next morning. Needless to say the young tech was in a dour mood; she had thought she would at least be staying the night with her friends.

They were seated around a table in the kitchen of 'Rosa's Bed and Breakfast' in front of a low burning hearth. The Peruvian government had cancelled most of the flights to Cusco and had closed off entrance to Machu Picchu under the guise of threat due to earthquakes so, business was slow to nonexistent in the city. Rosa placed a steaming plate of chicken-stuffed tamales and some cornbread on the table and Pete and the two eldest children practically jumped at the food. Before they could reach anything though, a large spoon whacked the table, making everyone jump in surprise.

"Have we forgotten our prayers all of a sudden?" Rosa's stern voice questioned.

"No, Señora"

"No, Mama Rosa"

"No, Ma'am"

The children and Pete replied in unison, giving her chagrined gazes. Where Gustavo had been cheerful and almost annoyingly talkative, Mrs. Rivera was surly and appeared to never say more than needed.

As the old woman sat and began to make the cross sign, she eyed everyone, making sure they all followed suit. Helena almost laughed at the notion of being intimidated into participating in any type of ritual she didn't believe in. She had been raised in a very Christian environment but - always being of a logical and scientific mind - she had struggled with her faith ever since she was a little girl. She remembered feeling guilty whenever she questioned the existence of her family's God and used to ask Him for forgiveness and guidance whenever the world seemed to turn on her. That had all changed the second she had lost her daughter. Now, as Rosa's stern yet kind eyes landed on her, she squirmed in her sit and found herself raising her right hand, her muscles remembering movements they had not performed in over a century and a half. As the dark skinned woman recited a familiar prayer, Helena's thoughts flashed back to her parents, her brothers, her Christina; all of them reciting the same lines, all of them being thankful and happy…all of them gone.

As soon as they finished the prayer, the table was a whirlwind of movement and sound. Arms flew to the food while the children laughed and chatted around them. The grown-ups were a little more quiet and tightly wound; the day's events having exhausted them and the night's unknown destination, making them tense. Always one to want to ease the tension, Roberto told the story of how he had met Rosa.

He had been a young boy of about eight when his parents' marriage started to fall apart. Angry and hurt, he would lose himself in the city for days on end and his parents would be none the wiser for the most part. It was around this time he met a group of boys a few years older than himself and it was then he started to get into real trouble. One fateful day, the boys had decided to break into the very same Bed and Breakfast they were now at, figuring they would steal from the foreigners staying there.

"That is when I met my kindred spirit, my savior…at the end of a gun." He laughed recalling how a crazed, elderly woman had jumped out of the darkness, screaming; making the other boys scatter in fear and grabbing the young Roberto by the scruff of his shirt, turning him around and pointing a gun directly between his eyes.

At the archeologist's words, Helena turned to discreetly glance at Myka who was seated on the other side of the rectangular table, next to Roberto. The writer mentally shook her head, and quickly directed her attention back to the laughing man; completely oblivious to Myka's own lingering gaze.

"Tell how Tío Roberto did pee pee because he was so scared, Mama Rosa" Sofia prompted with a giggle, clearly having heard this story many times before.

The old woman gave what could only be described as a crazed cackle. Claudia and Pete raised their eyebrows in shock and immediately looked over at each other from across the table. That was proof enough for them they were having dinner with a real life witch, with kids to eat and all. Knowing exactly what the other was thinking, both of them joined Rosa and burst into laughter.

"I've never seen anyone so scared in my life. The funny thing is you peed all over yourself after I had put away the gun. I told you you were going to stay for dinner and that was all your body could take." She cackled again. "He-He thought I was some kind of witch and that I was going to eat him!…can you believe that?!" She exclaimed in delight, her voice getting louder with each word spoken as she banged on the table with her hand. Her high, eerie cackle mingled with the rest of the group's laughter Even Helena found it impossible not to find the anecdote amusing.

"Well, thank you very much to the both of you…I was actually trying to steer away from that particular memory." Roberto lightly chided Rosa and Sofia who only laughed louder as he tentatively looked at a chuckling Myka. "Oh come on! That was the best part of the whole story!" Myka affirmed as she placed a supportive hand on his forearm, not wanting him to think she was making fun of him. This seemed to appease the older man as he grinned at her and grabbed another loaf of bread.

"So, that was that…Rosa was the bravest, most entertaining and surreal person I had ever met. She gave me a job as an errand boy and I was here after school every day since. One of the saddest moments of my childhood was leaving Cusco a few years later. I knew I was going to miss my dad but I wasn't sure I would survive without my Rosa." He said as he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Oh, stop that." The grouchy woman protested the kiss while almost affectionately patting the smiling Doctor on the cheek several times

"Oh look, we're having dinner with future H.G." Claudia joked under her breath after seeing the older woman become uncomfortable with the open demonstration of affection. This earned her a raised eyebrow from her mentor who was seating beside her and who the remark was clearly intended for.

"I came to visit my father every summer for the next ten years; I spent most of my time here and that kept me from getting into too much trouble. She saved me and many others like me." He explained while his gaze went to the three children to Rosa's left. "Many years later, after accepting the Warehouse's offer to become a contact, I asked for permission to share my secret with Rosa." He finished with a shrug of his shoulders. "I wasn't surprised when they told me she had been a very important recourse for them for over thirty years." He smiled proudly once more.

The older woman stood suddenly and started clearing the table with the three children in tow. "They're here for you." She stated absentmindedly. The agents turned and after a few seconds of silence, they heard honking; lights from a car shown through the closed curtains and blinded H.G and Claudia who used their hands to try and cover their eyes.

"They're early" A dismayed sounding Claudia stated.

"Go upstairs and start packing…I'll take some tea out and ask them to wait." Rosa offered the group.

/

A few hours later, Claudia found herself in a strange bed, staring up at the dark ceiling. She was sure that sleep would elude her the rest of the night. She couldn't believe she was heading back to the Warehouse the next day while her friends were headed to god knows where. She breathed heavily and decided to pull out her ipod, figuring some music would at least distract her from the unfairness of it all. She got up and kneeled on the floor, bending over to grab her sack which was under her bed. She rummaged around in the dark until she felt the ipod's familiar form. Just as she was about to pull herself up, she heard the door to her room slowly open. She made herself hold her breath as she looked under the bed. The door was on the other side of the room, the bed was the only thing separating her from whoever (or whatever, she thought with dread) just came in. She heard heavy breathing and soft footsteps quickly heading towards her. She cursed herself for having given Pete her tesla…sure she wasn't going to be needing it any longer. She instinctively held her ipod tighter, intending on using it as a weapon if need be. The footsteps stopped and Claudia could barely discern a pair of feet. The bottom half of the bed was too low for her to go under it and attack the intruder from below so it would have to be a surprise attack from above, Claudia decided quickly, her heart about to burst from her chest. She heard the sheets being pulled back and then thrown to the floor followed by her pillow. Whoever was there was going to check the other side of the room at any moment, so Claudia braced herself before quickly jumping on the bed. With a warrior cry (or at least she hoped that was what it sounded like) she jumped on the dark figure and tackled it to the ground; just as she was going to hit it with her ipod, she heard a familiar voice crying out her name. "Claudia, Claudia, please, it's me..it's Adriana." Showing great restraint, Claudia held her fist in the air, inches away from its mark and quickly turned on her ipod, illuminating the face under her. Sure enough, it was Adriana covered in wardrobe goo and clearly terrified about something.

"You - you must help me little one…I am in great trouble." The dark haired woman pleaded right before someone turned on the room's lights, scaring the living hell out of the Warehouse apprentice for the second time that night.


	9. Chapter 9

Title: Empire of the Sun

Rating: R just in case (K+)

Summary: The agents continue on their quest to find a long lost artifact in Machu Picchu.

Pairings: Myka/H.G., Myka/Roberto

Disclaimer 1: Warehouse 13 and characters are not mine, just playing around with them.

Disclaimer 2: I don't know much about military rankings or Peruvian government workings. I made it all up. Hope it's not too obvious.

This chapter has not been beta'd so sorry for any mistakes (I wrote this chapter in one sitting which I usually don't do so, I hope any mistakes aren't too distracting :)).

Feedback is greatly appreciated (especially for this chapter).

/

It was silent in the small pick-up truck they were riding in; its occupants lost in their own thoughts as they slowly made their way through Cusco's deserted streets. Helena rested her head against the icy window, adjusting the scarf around her neck.

One of the few things she most certainly did not miss about living in London was the cold; she absolutely loathed the dreary, foggy days and the stuffy winter clothes. She felt Myka shiver beside her and move her frame closer to her own, unconsciously seeking warmth from the body beside her. 'Well, there are some things to be said for cold weather' Helena thought to herself as a ghost of a smile formed on her face as her eyes aimlessly skimmed the darkness outside.

"Are the streets usually this deserted?" Myka pondered out loud as she zipped her jacket all the way up and looked out the window, searching for some sign of life.

"Cusco is usually filled with drunken tourists at this hour, but with the ban on the city and all…" Roberto answered from the co-pilots seat.

"What about the residents?" Pete chimed in from his place next to Myka.

"Scared shitless" Gabriel, the man who had picked them up and was currently driving them to their next destination, provided. "No one knows exactly what's going on, but there is something in the air".

"Yeah." A reluctant Pete agreed. He had been getting bad vibes ever since their arrival that afternoon. "The rifle hasn't acted up though, that has to be a good sign, right?" The agent offered, trying to keep positive as he hugged the bound rifle tighter.

"It is the quiet before the storm." A dreary Helena assured her friend as she lightly nudged Myka with her shoulder and directed her attention to a group of six armed men blocking the street up ahead.

The vehicle slowed to a stop. "Stay here." Roberto ordered, the severity in his voice broaching no objections. The archeologist and the driver both stepped out of the vehicle and walked over to the men.

"This can't be good." Pete voiced his concern as he saw one of the armed men turn to their car and slowly make his way towards it.

"Vamos! Fuera del vehículo." The man ordered.

"He wants us to get out of the car" Helena translated. Pete leaned over Myka to get a better look at the man. He was dressed in generic black clothes, except for the bullet proof vest over his thick sweater. He was holding a rifle across his chest, his gaze impatient and expectant.

"Eh, No gracias" Pete said in his broken English. In reply, the man banged the roof of the truck; making all three agents jump. When he tried opening the locked door without success, he gave the roof one final, warning blow.

"Well, I believe it's in our best interest to do as the man holding the rifle says." Helena calmly stated, though she did not like how this situation was playing out. She could see Gabriel and Roberto arguing with two of the armed men and as Gabriel took a step towards one of them, they grabbed him and Roberto and shoved them against one of the cars blocking the road. She adjusted her Tesla before taking a deep breath and unlocking her door. When she heard the click of the lock, she turned back to her two friends, giving them a quick, encouraging nod. The man did not wait for her to step out though, swinging the door open and grabbing her roughly by the jacket as he dragged her out.

"H.G.!" Pete called out while Myka quickly followed her out of the truck, holding up her badge.

"We're not here to cause any trouble. We're Secret Service." She explained between gritted teeth as she saw the man gruffly frisk Helena. When he felt the Tesla under H.G's jacket he smiled in satisfaction and looked up at the woman who was staring at him impassively. He quickly grabbed the weapon from its holster and pulled it out, eyeing it with curious eyes.

"We need to get to Machu Picchu as soon as possible; it's - it's a matter of International Security" Myka continued to explain, hoping that the man would listen to reason. He turned at the sound of Myka's voice and sidestepped towards her. Taking the badge from her right hand, he glimpsed at it with an almost bored expression before calling out to one of his companions.

"Santiago!" A young man of about twenty came running up, nervously looking at the three agents, his gun at the ready.

Without taking his eyes off of the agent, the older man carefully leaned his rifle against the car, purposefully brushing up against the tall woman who willed herself not to roll her eyes at the gesture.

Myka felt Pete move beside her but Santiago quickly aimed his rifle at him.

"No se mueva!" he cautioned angrily. Pete was about to punch the man regardless of the obvious warning but Myka turned to him and shook her head imperceptibly; they were outnumbered and outgunned; they would have to try to talk their way out of this or wait for an opportunity to escape.

Pete looked on helplessly as Myka's aggressor pointed the Tesla over her head and fired; blue currents of electricity shot out from the weapon, making the agent gasp in fear and lean heavily against the car before turning angry eyes at him. He snorted at the furious stare before aiming the gun directly at her head while he proceeded to frisk her with slow, intentional movements.

"It's called a Tesla, do you like it? It was a gift from a dear, old friend so I'm afraid I won't be able to let you keep it." H.G. stated in perfect Spanish, making the man look up in surprise and take a step back, though the Tesla never strayed from its mark. He didn't like the way she was looking at him; there was a dangerous, almost predatory glint to her eyes but, as she turned ever so subtly towards the woman beside her, he saw the fear in their depths. His ever present smile turned defiant as he slowly unzipped Myka's jacket and removed her gun. He looked over at the younger man and wordlessly instructed him to check Pete for weapons which he found in a matter of seconds.

"Okay, are you happy? You have our guns; now can you tell us what's going on here?" A irritated Pete demanded.

Ignoring him, the guards nodded over to the group who held Roberto and Gabriel captive. There was a man holding an old walkie-talkie and he proceeded to speak into it in what H.G. and Myka could only assume was Quechua, Cusco's native language. He signaled for the men to bring the rest of the group over. Myka felt the man painfully grip her upper arm and forcefully guide her toward the others. She instinctively wrenched her arm free and pushed the man back and knew right away that that had been a mistake. His smile turned into a fuming scowl. He grabbed her by the neck and shoved her angrily against the truck before punching her in the stomach and hitting her on the side of the head with the butt of the gun.

"Puta! Maldita!" he yelled at the crouched form.

"Myka!" H.G and Pete called out in fear. H.G. moved towards the fallen woman but was blocked by Santiago. Helena wasted no time in punching him square in the face and then dropped him to the floor with a smooth front sweep. She grabbed his rifle and Pete followed suit, taking back his gun from the fallen man and knocking him unconscious.

H.G. aimed the rifle at the man standing over Myka while Pete pressed his back against hers and pointed it at the rest of the group.

"He-Helena, stop!" Myka beseeched the frantic looking woman after taking long, shuttering breaths to compose herself. She had bitten her tongue when the gun had connected with her head and the blood running down her throat was making breathing rather difficult. Three other guards stormed towards the agents as they yelled orders and circled Pete and Helena, pointing their own weapons at them.

"Pete…" Myka called out to her partner…wordlessly asking him to surrender. They would not survive an open attack; he was their best bet at defusing the situation. Pete turned to the crouching woman, his jaw set and his trigger finger itching to start shooting when he saw a thin trickle of blood run down her chin. Moments went by in which a silent war was waged between the friends; in the end, as was usually the case, Myka came out the victor. Pete sighed heavily and threw his gun down. "H.G. put the rifle down." The agent instructed the dark haired woman who had not taken her eyes off of the man who had struck Myka.

"H.G.!" he said more forcefully when the woman did not move. Helena blinked and shook her head slightly from side to side, her attention finally focusing on the words being said. She closed her eyes and unconsciously clenched her jaw; with one final glare at the man, she dropped the rifle.

They were immediately surrounded, their arms roughly pulled behind their backs.

Helena ignored it all and sought out Myka's gaze amid the commotion. "I'm okay" Myka mouthed, trying to appease the writer's obvious worry. Before they could be restrained, a car horn was heard nearby. They turned to see an old blue Ford Falcon slowly drive up the road.

When it stopped, the driver's side door opened slowly and an elderly man wearing a brown coat and black pants stepped out. Roberto pushed the guard holding him out of the way and walked up to him. The archeologist was practically foaming at the mouth after having witnessed the events of the last few minutes. He shoved the man against the car and spoke to him in a hushed, threatening voice. The agents had no clue as to what they were saying but, Roberto finally relented his hold on the shorter man with one final push. He walked passed Pete and H.G. and stopped in front of the guard who was still holding a gun to Myka. The man looked behind Roberto's left shoulder and only after getting a wordless assent from the man in the coat did he step back and walk over to the blue Falcon. Roberto crouched down and lightly held Myka's chin between gentle, callused fingers.

"Are you alright?" He asked

"I'm fine Roberto. What the hell is going on? Who is that guy?" Myka asked as she stood with the archeologist's help.

"He's Luis Calderon. He was a Colonel in the Peruvian military for many years, now he works for the National Intelligence Service , although I'm pretty sure he has his own motives for being here." He explained as he steadied the woozy looking woman.

"I apologize for Officer Torres. We've been expecting you for some time now and I'm afraid the wait has made my men a little jumpy. Cusco is not the safest place to be in right now as you well know…what with this mysterious artifact about to be exhumed."

"What? Wait…you know about the artifact?" Myka was sincerely shocked.

"Of course I do; why do you think I'm here? I was sent to keep you from taking it away from us." He said as though he were talking about the weather, though Pete instantly felt a horrible vibe at his words. He discreetly leaned towards Helena, grabbing her wrist in order to get her attention. "Be ready" Was all he dared say to the time traveler. H.G.'s eyes immediately fell from Pete to the rifle on the ground.

"Luis, the agents are here to help. Our government knows they're here…we have every authorization required to continue…and it would be in everyone's best interest if you let us through. Someone wants this artifact badly…we can't let it fall into the wrong hands." The archeologist retorted as diplomatically as possible.

"You are absolutely right my friend, we can't let the artifact fall into the wrong hands. Now, I strongly recommend that you come with me."

"Where are you planning to take us?" Myka asked.

"Oh no dear, not you…just Roberto…I have known him for many years and his father saved my life once upon a time….I'm afraid I'm under strict orders to dispose of the rest of you…I am simply giving Roberto a chance to walk away from all this." He stated absently as he turned and walked towards his car.

"What?! Luis! Are you crazy?! You won't get away with this…you think no one is going to notice three missing Secret Service Agents? " A flabbergasted Roberto yelled out to the retreating form.

"You know very well we have ways of covering these things up… Anyway, once the artifact is found, it won't really matter. I assure you my dear Roberto, you will want to be alive for what awaits us…It is our time in the Sun. Now come, I will explain everything to you and then you will see." Luis exclaimed, his smile open and inviting. It made Roberto's stomach churn.

"You know me Luis…You know I won't leave them. But I promise you, you will be seeing me again." Roberto swore, sealing his fate with his words.

The elderly man shook his head in disappointment "I thought as much…I am sorry you feel this way" He said as he turned once more. "Get rid of them and search for the rifle." He ordered as he stepped into the car and drove off, unwilling to witness Roberto's last moments.

As the car sped away, the group of agents and soldiers were cast in silence and shadow. It was then that Pete really looked at the armed men's faces. Excluding the soldier who had attacked Myka, the rest of them were no more than boys. He felt their fear rivaling his own and decided he would try and talk some sense into them. He opened his mouth to speak but a deafening shot rang out and then Roberto's guttural cry followed, silencing the agent for good. Torres had shot Gabriel in the head and was now aiming his gun at Pete. Helena quickly dove over the still unconscious soldier and grabbed the rifle, hitting the nearest man in the crotch. Pete ducked in the nick of time, barely escaping getting killed himself while Myka pushed Roberto to the ground and turned to open the car door, jumping inside to get Soraya from under the passenger seat where her partner had left it. Pete grabbed his gun and started shooting at Torres who ducked behind a car.

"Everyone, run into the fields!" Roberto shouted as he helped a weak Myka out of the car and guided her off of the road. As they reached a grove, she stopped Roberto and handed him the rifle.

"Myka…don't" He pleaded.

"Stay here…If anything happens, find a way to contact Artie. He'll keep you safe." She instructed.

The agent hastily made her way back to her friends, her vision blurry from the blow she had received. She wasn't sure how much help she would be in this state and without a weapon but, there was no way she would leave Helena and Pete behind. Whatever fate had in store for them, they would face it together. She heard gun shots and picked up her pace.

"Stop!" She heard Pete yell out frantically after a few seconds. Her heart leaped to her throat as she stood perfectly still.

"Helena" She whispered into the darkness. Something had happened to make her partner sound so frightened. Her mind went to all possible scenarios, each and every one of them making her chest clench tighter in fear. She rushed out onto the road, stealthily searching for her friends or any possible attacker. She reached their truck and crouched behind it, peering under it to see if she could make out anyone in the dark.

"Pete! Helena!" She called out. She couldn't wait any longer. She had to know they were alright.

"Myka!" She heard Pete's voice close by and almost cried with relief. She ran out to where she heard his voice to see her two friends making their way to her but, her smile quickly gave way to a horrified gasp when her bleary vision focused on Helena. She was covered in blood.

"Oh my god…Helena" She uttered with worry as she closed the distance between them and carefully placed her hands on the dark haired agent's shoulders, stopping her in her tracks. "What happened? Where are you hurt?" She inquired as she softly ran her fingers over H.G's temple and neck, searching for any wounds.

"It isn't my blood." The writer stated without emotion as she slightly flinched away from the other woman's touch and brushed passed her. A speechless Myka watched the retreating form and as her eyes settled on Helena's right hand, her heart clenched tightly once again though for a whole different reason. Helena had gotten her Tesla back.

/

Thanks for taking the time to read!


	10. Chapter 10

Title: Empire of the Sun

Rating: R just in case (K+)

Summary: The agents continue on their quest to find a long lost artifact in Machu Picchu.

Pairings: Myka/H.G., Myka/Roberto

Disclaimer 1: Warehouse 13 and characters are not mine, just playing around with them.

This chapter has not been beta'd so sorry for any mistakes

I apologize for the delay...I'll try to post the next chapter soon though! Thanks for all your feedback...keep it coming.

One, two, three, turn…one, two, three, turn…one, two, three, turn…the pacing was meant to distract Roberto but, it only managed to worsen his anxiety. He wanted to run after Myka but he had the rifle to think about. He could not let the soldiers get their hands on it. Amaru stopped his pacing and took a deep breath, trying to think of somewhere he could hide it while he went looking for the agents. The mist that had followed them since dusk had gotten denser and the cold moisture made his clothes stick uncomfortably to his skin. He brushed away the sweat from his forehead as he listened for any sign of the agents in the pitch blackness. He turned sharply when he heard a branch break a few feet away. He stretched his left hand to find the old, leafless tree he had bumped into when Myka had first left him. He touched its dry surface and placed his back against it, searching his pockets for the small flashlight he always carried with him. His fingers brushed against the plastic handle and immediately curled around it. He could clearly hear unsteady footsteps approaching and decided against turning it on. He would have to use the darkness to his favor. He waited until he could feel the person's erratic breathing and jumped from his spot. He pounced on the figure, wanting to immobilize it. He didn't know who it was and didn't want to hurt Myka or the others in case it was them. He placed the rifle against the person's chest, using his large frame to hold them in place. The body was a lot smaller than his own but, it was quick and it elbowed him in the stomach and grabbed his arm, pulling it painfully behind his back until he yelled out in agony. In response, the pulling immediately stopped but his feet were unceremoniously swept from under him. Roberto hit the floor soundly, the wind getting knocked out of him.

"Agent Wells….glad…you…could make it" He said between gulps of air as he grabbed his flashlight and turned it on. Helena put her hand up, blocking the light from her sensitive eyes. After a few seconds, she used the faint light to make out her surroundings.

"What happened to you? Are you alright?" Roberto asked as he stood. The gentle tone made H.G. cringe internally; she did not want sympathy from anyone right now, especially not from the man standing in front of her, looking at her with worried, compassionate eyes.

She ignored his searching gaze and breathed out a small sigh of relief as she spotted a brook a few feet away. She wordlessly walked over to it and knelt down, putting her aching hand in the cold, shallow water. As she tried to gradually make her hand regain feeling again by opening and closing it, she heard Roberto slowly make his way towards her, his footsteps hesitant.

"Myka and Peter are on their way" She answered the unspoken question as she took off her scarf and jacket. She placed the scarf in the water and proceeded to use it to scrub her neck clean. Roberto crouched beside her, his flashlight aimed at the ground. He could now tell that the blood was not hers. The agent was also obviously avoiding any eye contact with him. Her blood smattered face was expressionless; her thoughts somewhere far away.

"Is that Torres' blood?" He probed cautiously, wanting to grasp the time traveler's state of mind.

Helena stopped her movements and after a long pause gave him an almost imperceptible nod, her eyes looking straight ahead.

"Is he dead?" He continued to ask without judgment.

She quickly turned haunted, dark eyes towards him before looking back over the vast, shadowed field and after another long pause the writer shook her head; this time though a tear managed to escape her watery eyes and slowly run down her cheek. She brushed it away without a second thought before continuing to clean the mess she had made.

"Whatever you did to him…I would have done the same. He could have killed Myka." He tried to reassure the agent, having seen what the soldier had done to their friend and the way Helena had instinctively reacted to it. He leaned back on his haunches and blew out a slow, even breath through the hand cupping his mouth. "Huh" He uttered as something dawned on him. She looked up at him then, her eyes cold and scrutinizing. "I-I think I've finally figured out why you hate me so much." He spoke with a small, unpretentious smile.

"I don't ha-" H.G. began to correct him.

"You're in love with her" He stated matter-of-factly. The inventor could not find it in her to correct him on this though. It was the truth and right at that moment she had no strength left in her to protest against it. She looked down at the hand holding the bloodied scarf. Roberto nodded, the woman's silence speaking volumes.

"She's in love with you as well." He continued, finding he couldn't stop. He wanted to kick himself for only now having realized this. Every smile, every eye roll, every touch and joke and quarrel they had shared these past few days was taking on a whole new dimension to him.

"Roberto, I'm sure I don't know what you're going on about." Helena said with a strained smile, trying to play aloof. It was all for not, he could see through the act.

"But, you don't want her." He treaded on, wanting to get everything out in the open. "I don't know why…but, I am grateful-"

"Roberto…" His name was said in a warning tone.

"-because I do" His voice louder than he intended. They both stared at each other, the archeologist's heartfelt confession shocking them both with its intensity. Roberto took a steadying breath and placed his flashlight and the bound rifle carefully on the ground. He gently took the scarf from the silent woman and soaked it in the water. He lightly grabbed her right hand and examined it, seeing that the knuckles were marred and bruised. He rinsed the scarf and wrapped it around the injured area.

"This is neither the time nor the place to be speaking about this." A somewhat subdued H.G. said as she watched the archeologist's strong, callused hands tend to her wounds.

"You're right…I apologize…I think I just got sidetracked with all the new information." He conceded lamely, his lips forming a small, wan smile. "All I wanted to say is that that son of a bitch had it coming … but when you're right, you're right…this is neither the time nor the place…what we have to focus on now is staying alive and getting to the artifact before anyone else does. We're in deep shit here and the only way out is to stick together and to trust each other." As he said the final words he finished knotting the scarf, giving it one final pull to make sure it was securely tied. "I know we don't know each other that well and you really have no reason to trust me but, I do want to help you…and frankly I'm your best bet at getting the hell out of here." He finished with a charming smirk.

Helena gave him a faint albeit sincere smile and nodded in return, silently conceding that they had no other choice but to work together.

"No…please…don't worry about a thing…stay put, we can carry _everything_ all the way up to Machu Picchu for you…should I get you two a lemonade in the mean time?" Came Pete's sarcastic voice. They turned to see him and Myka carrying most of their gear into the small grove. Pete was aiming his flashlight towards them as he haphazardly dropped the bags on the ground while he gave them both a pointed look. Roberto stood and made his way over to Myka, helping her put down the rest of the gear.

Helena cursed herself for having left her companions to do all the heavy lifting. Their combined flashlights cast enough light for her to see Myka's drawn and pale features. She quickly grabbed Soraya and stood. Pete caught her eye and gave her a questioning look, silently asking her if she was alright. She offered him a terse nod and mouthed a voiceless 'thank you' before turning to Myka who was at the moment leaning heavily against Roberto, talking to him in soft tones.

The time traveler swallowed hard, all of a sudden nervous and at a loss for words. "Myka? Are you alright?" She asked as she tentatively walked up to her friend. Myka's attention focused on H.G. before she looked over her shoulder at Pete who was keeping himself busy by searching the packs for the Farnsworth. She then turned to Roberto and lightly held the forearm that was supporting her by the waist.

"Roberto, Can you help Pete find the Farnsworth? We need to get in touch with Artie." He simply nodded and helped her straighten. He walked passed Helena and wordlessly asked her for the rifle which she handed over to him. Trying to keep her world from spinning, Myka slowly walked up to Helena who seemed torn between helping her stay afoot and running away in the other direction. H.G. had no idea what Pete had told Myka or what she had seen once she had left them on the road. She was not sure of where she stood in Myka's eyes. She was waiting for the younger woman to look at her with disgust, or hate or even worse, disappointment, but none of these seemed to be present on her beautiful face…at least not at the moment. The tall agent's eyes slowly roamed over the other woman, clearly searching for something. Helena willed herself not to move or look away or cry for that matter. She felt weak and exposed and she loathed it.

"You used my favorite scarf as gauze?" Myka asked as the light from her flashlight stopped on the hastily mended hand, a playful smile showing on her face. Helena exhaled shakily and a relieved, gravelly laugh escaped her throat.

"I beg your pardon? You know perfectly well Leena gave it to me as a Christmas present last year." H.G. halfheartedly defended herself.

"I said it was my favorite, I didn't say it was mine." Myka shot back as a high-strung H.G. walked quickly up to her, suddenly enveloping her in an almost desperate embrace. Myka released the breath she had been holding and closed her eyes tightly as she placed her arms over Helena's shoulders and returned the hug with as much force, unconsciously burying her face in the crook of Helena's neck.

"Well, I must admit, it suited you far better than it did me, I'm sorry for your loss." H.G. conceded, her voice somewhat muffled by Myka's shoulder. Myka opened her eyes and laughed, more out of relief at having her friend back than from the joke itself.

The taller agent slid her free hand through the time traveler's blood encrusted hair before guiding her so that they were now facing each other.

"Are you okay?" She whispered, relieved when she saw her H.G. looking back at her. She had not recognized the woman who had stared dully past her on the road not an hour before.

"I believe I asked you first?" The writer reminded her friend as she searched her face for any more signs of injury.

"I'm a bit woozy but, on the bright side…Pete and I will probably have matching scars." She tried to brush away the writer's worry with the small joke as she reached for the inventor's injured hand. "You?"

Helena stepped back, but left her hand in Myka's gentle grasp. She turned to watch Pete holding the Farnsworth over his head and Roberto who was unstrapping a machete from one of the packs, trying without much success to keep his eyes from the two women. "He-he hurt you…and I was going to kill him for it" Helena confessed somberly, her eyes never flinching from Myka's.

/

"_Everyone, run into the fields!" H.G. heard Roberto yell as she heedlessly made her way to two soldiers who had been caught by surprise by the agent's sudden attack and were just now aiming their guns at them. Torres was caught behind one of the government cars, blasting away at Pete who had made his way back to the truck and had opened the passenger side door, using it as protection as he retaliated. _

_Having only Torres on her mind and a plan already set in place; Helena counted Pete and Torres' shots, timing her movements to the irregular blasts. She quickly aimed her gun and pressed the trigger, hitting the nearest soldier squarely on the left kneecap. As expected, he screamed in agony and fell to his knees. Without missing a beat, the time traveler ran up to him and rolled on top of his bent form, grabbing the knife he had hidden in his waistband while kicking the second soldier in the jaw. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she turned and hit the dazed man on the nose with the butt of her gun, hearing with satisfaction the bone break under the pressure. She quickly turned and as predicted, She found Torres crouched behind the car, reloading his gun. Pete was taking advantage of the short reprieve to attack another of the armed men. He tackled him to the ground and punched him several times, trying to render him unconscious. Helena strode towards where Torres was, easily pushing the soldier with the broken nose to the ground. The large man saw her steadily making her way towards him, foolishly holstering her gun. He quickly finished loading his own weapon and pulled back the slide. He took aim as he stood, but Helena was too quick for him. To his shock, she was already before him, sidestepping his gun and locking his right arm with her left, adding a deceitful amount of pressure for someone her size. Refusing to panic, Torres tried to use his large frame to his advantage, turning them around and slamming the lithe woman into the car. She barely flinched. She tightened her hold on his arm and rammed her right hand upwards, striking his elbow joint and breaking the bone. His screams were deafening, but she was not satisfied. She roghly grabbed him by the neck and tripped him; once she got him on the ground she grabbed his broken arm and forced it to spread to his side, generating another bone chilling scream from the soldier who was now begging her to stop. She grabbed his wrist and without preamble cut three of his fingers off with the knife she had taken from the first soldier; jabbing the blade into his hand when she had finished. _

_Pete had been wrestling with the last soldier and had almost gotten his head blown off a couple of times but had managed to hit him in the neck and subdue him with a choke hold. _

_When he was sure the soldier was unconscious he stood and searched for his friend. He heard an animal like wail; the ire coming from it making his gut clench. He ran to the car where he had last seen Torres hide behind and gasped when he made his way around it. Helena was straddling Torres, beating his face to a pulp. The soldier's right hand was pinned to the ground by a knife and it was missing three fingers. A large amount of blood was gushing out of the wound and even more blood shot out of his face with every punch H.G. pommeled him with. In complete shock, Pete forced himself to snap out of it. _

"_Stop!" He bellowed as he ran to the author and wrapped his arms around her, hauling her to her feet. "H.G. Look at me…look at me!" Pete pleaded as he turned the struggling woman around, forcing her to face him. "He's done…he can't hurt Myka anymore. Breathe…that's it" H.G.'s glassy eyes focused on her friend's worried gaze. She heard his familiar voice, something in its gentle tone calming the rage that had taken a hold of her a few short moments ago. She grabbed his face with both hands, focusing on breathing in and out as instructed. She looked at Pete, his concerned face too much for her to bear. She felt a dam about to break somewhere within her and took a deep breath, forcing it back for the time being. _

_She gave him a grateful nod and turned to Torres, feeling Pete's gaze on her. She found it a bit disconcerting that her friend was protecting the soldier from her and not the other way around. She crouched down and placed her hand on the pulse point on his neck. To her relief, his heart was still beating. She looked up at Pete "He's alive." The relieved breath he released hit her like a knife to the heart. Ashamed, she turned and grabbed her Tesla from Torres' waistband. She stood and walked past Pete, unable to look at him. "We should get our gear and tend to the men's wounds quickly." Pete heard the time traveler say behind her shoulder. _

_He stood motionless, staring at the stranger that was walking away from him. For the first time since he had met H.G., he felt a pang of fear. This emotion was mixed with shame; she was his friend and he would have done the same if not worse to Torres if he had gotten his hands on him first…right? _

"_Pete! Helena!" His musings were cut short by Myka calling out their names. He took a deep breath to settle his frazzled nerves and ran up to H.G. leading her towards their friend._

_/_

Myka stood still as H.G. finished telling her what had happened after they had parted ways on the road. Helena was succinct to say the least, but she did not leave out any of the gory details. "I couldn't stop hitting him, Myka…I didn't try to…I didn't want to." Helena admitted as she looked down at her hurt hand still cradled between Myka's, the last confession making her sick to her stomach.

"Helena…"Myka uttered almost in a whisper, lightly pulling the bandaged hand to get her attention. The older woman looked up, her features impassive but Myka knew better. "You-you have to stop punishing yourself. You didn't kill him –" Helena opened her mouth to protest but, anticipating her words Myka pushed forward, inclining her head to be more at eye level with the writer "-and if Pete hadn't been there, I _know_ you would have stopped yourself. I don't care what you did in the past…I know you and you are not a murderer." She emphasized her words by placing her hand behind H.G.'s neck, guiding her head forward and nudging her lightly with her forehead.

Helena took an unsteady breath and gave the green eyed woman an uncertain smile, but it was a smile nonetheless. "Myka Ophelia Bering, always so bloody sure of herself." She teased with a raised eyebrow and a boastful, crooked smile.

"Well, I do know you better than anyone else…remember? You're my area of expertise, so don't you dare argue with me on this." Myka only half joked as she took a step back and let go of the dark haired woman's hand. H.G.'s heart swelled at Myka's words and all she could do was smile at her, her eyes brimming with unshed tears "Righty-ho, Agent Bering." She conceded, tipping her head politely and bending to grab Myka's pack. Hoisting the bag over her shoulder, she turned and walked over to Pete who was tinkering irritably with the Farnsworth. Myka remained standing in her spot for a few more seconds, her eyes on H.G.'s retreating form before she turned and searched the ground for anything they could have left behind.

"I think everything is taken care of." Roberto said, crouching on the floor over a pile of bags. "Here" He offered Myka a sweater, the night growing colder by the minute. "Thanks."

"Let me look at you." He said after she had put on the oversized sweater. He stood and carefully placed his hand on the side of her face, intently looking at the beaten but still beautiful face. He placed a thumb on her cut lip and then searched his pocket for something. After several moments, he took out what appeared to be a small mint can.

"What's that?" Myka asked, her brow furrowed with curiosity. He smiled at the childish gesture; Myka had many endearing qualities he mused to himself as he opened the can. In it there were small, round pellets.

"Chancaca candy…not the tastiest treat but it could help with the bleeding…plus, it's a decent replacement to breath mints." He quipped.

Myka's mouth opened in mock indignation. "Are you saying my breath smells?" She said indignantly as she took a pill and put in her mouth, scrunching up her nose at the unfamiliar taste.

Roberto laughed and placed a pill in his own mouth "Not at all…but you may want to remember I have these come morning." He advised as he gave her a smile.

"How is she?" He asked after a few seconds; his eyes seeking out H.G.

"I-I think she's doing better-I hope so…sometimes it's just so damn difficult to get through to her, you know?"

Roberto nodded and kept silent. Myka was wringing her hands together, looking like she was going to burst if she didn't get whatever she was thinking off her chest, so he patiently waited for her to continue.

"I-I saw what she did...I dressed Torres' hand...or what was left of it; it wasn't pretty-It was downright scary, really-"She blurted out, trying to keep her voice down so the others wouldn't hear her. "She-she lost control…and if there's something H.G. Wells hates more than anything, it's losing control…She's pissed and she's scared…She thinks she would've killed him, for God's sakes!…" Myka guffawed at the sheer absurdity of the idea "Sooner or later she'll have to face the fact that she's not the big, bad monster she sees herself as…that she's not the same person she was before she was bronzed." She said as her gaze locked with his; she was still fidgeting with her hands but her jaw was set with resolve.

"How can you be so sure?" Roberto asked, not wanting to question H.G.'s atonement but, needing to know why the younger agent had so much faith in the woman.

"Some things you just don't question…her heart is one of those things." She explained simply. As soon as the words came out, he could tell she wanted to take them back. He smiled when he saw her eyes widening as her mouth opened forming a perfect "o". She self-consciously tucked her curls behind her ears and cleared her throat as the archeologist looked at her knowingly, feeling foolish for the small pang of jealousy that appeared out of the blue.

"She's-she's my friend…I just know her." She finished lamely as she shoved her hands behind her back pockets, looking at her surroundings with way too much interest.

"Guys, the Farnsworth isn't working…something's jamming the signal." Pete informed the group as he walked about positioning the Farnsworth in different angles above his head.

Letting Myka off the hook, Roberto grabbed the heaviest pack off the ground; "I'm sorry, my friends. We can't stay here…we must keep going. Luis will catch wind of our escape soon and he'll come looking for us." He warned the others as he took out his cellphone; as he expected, there was no signal. "The truck will be too easy to spot…we'll have to walk." He explained as he grabbed another bag and flung it over his shoulder.

They took a few minutes to gather their things, tend to their wounds and fill their canteens up with water. Once done, Roberto took the lead, Soraya securely strapped to his pack. Myka followed with Pete keeping a close eye on her a few paces away while H.G. kept watch from behind the line.

After about three hours of almost complete silence; Pete noticed the way Myka slightly dragged her feet and how she couldn't quite seem to walk in a straight line. He was sure his partner was reaching her limit and was also absolutely positive that she would not utter a word about it.

"Roberto, As much as I'm loving our midnight stroll…Can we stop for a sec? My back is killing me." Pete whined with some exaggeration as he grabbed his waist dramatically and leaned back against a tree with a heavy sigh. Roberto turned and searched their surroundings. They had cleared the open fields about two hours ago and were now on the outskirts of the jungle that boarded the ruins of Machu Picchu. He had purposefully taken a longer route and they still had about a day's walk to go before they reached the nearest village; he was about to propose they walk a couple of more hours but thought better of it when he saw blood seeping through the make shift gauze on Myka's temple. "Okay… this is as good a place as any, I guess. We can't light a fire so, take out any extra jackets and sweaters you have. We've been walking and keeping warm but, the nights here can get really cold." He explained as he placed his bags against a tree and started to search for warm clothes to give to the others.

The three exhausted agents made their way over to Roberto and deposited themselves under the tree. Pete inched towards Myka, gingerly grabbing her chin and ducking his head to get a closer look at the wound.

"I know what you did there." Myka said as she bumped shoulders with her partner.

"What are you talking about? I'm seriously tired Mykes…It may not seem like it but I'm not twenty-five anymore." He joked as he examined her temple.

"We need to change the bandage and apply some more of Arpasi's mystery goo." He informed his partner as he scrunched up his nose, knowing how much Myka hated the stuff. Myka swatted his hand away, grabbing his chin in the same fashion, angling his head to get a better look at his gash.

"Idem for you." She stated after seeing that the flesh around his wound was puffy and dark; it looked like it was getting infected.

"A double dose of goo coming right up, my lady."

He turned and searched his pack while H.G. wordlessly handed Myka her canteen. They had turned off their flashlights about an hour before, the mist having cleared enough for them to make their way with the light cast by the full moon. Helena could just make out the dark circles under Myka's drooping eyes. She grabbed her gear and shuffled closer to her friend. She placed her back to the tree, her left shoulder brushing against Myka's right one. Myka turned questioning eyes her way. H.G. curved her arm around her friend's neck placing her hand on Myka's face, guiding her head to rest on her shoulder; delicately brushing her fingers through the thick curls a few times before letting go. Myka watched H.G. take out her sword and carefully unsheathe it, searching for any dent or unwanted stain. She took out a whetstone from a hidden compartment in the sheath and started to sharpen the blade; the steady sound of stone against metal lulling the exhausted agent to sleep. She felt Pete remove the gauze from her head but was too drained to move; she let her friends' low, comforting voices lead her to a state between wakefulness and sleep. She didn't know when she fell asleep; it seemed like only minutes had gone by but when she opened her eyes the moon was no longer in the sky. Somebody had placed a couple of sweaters over her chest and a jacket over her knees and feet but, despite the protection, the cold was bone deep. She had slid down and her head was now resting on H.G.'s stomach, her face covered by Helena's right arm, the writer's fingers threaded lightly in her hair; her other hand was lightly holding her wrist. Pete had apparently decided to use her hip as a pillow. She felt his even breaths and smiled when his fingers tightened around her ankle; overprotective of her even in sleep. Her eyes scanned the area searching for Roberto, but it was too dark to make him out. A strong breeze passed through the trees, making its way under the protection of the sweaters. She shivered involuntarily and Helena instinctively drew her closer, carefully pulling her up so she could encircle her collarbone with her arms, letting go of her wrist to brush the hair from Myka's face, placing her lips with a feather touch against the gash on her temple as she repositioned the sweaters tighter against Myka.

"Hey…Can't sleep? Do you need me to move?" Myka breathed out lazily, making no effort whatsoever to move from the comfortable spot. She felt H.G.'s lips turn upwards against her temple and her chest constricted at the gesture.

"No, stay…it's rather brisk out and I must say you work far better than the wood stove I had back in the day." H.G.'s voice was raspy from lack of use and Myka could easily picture the impish smile she was wearing.

"Where's Roberto?" Myka inquired, her eyes roaming the darkness.

"I'm right here. We'll be starting up again in a few." His voice came from somewhere in front of them. As Myka's eyes grew more accustomed to the darkness, she could see that he was leaning against a large rock a few feet away.

While they sat in companionable silence, listening to the night sounds of the jungle, Myka's eyes began to drift shut but before sleep could take her once again, Pete's head shot up; his whole body shaking. Myka sat up straight as her hand searched blindly for her friend's shoulder.

"Pete, what is it?" She anxiously asked her partner, knowing from experience that he was getting a bad case of the vibes.

"We have to get out of here…now!" He was clearly agitated as he grabbed Myka's hand and helped her stand. Myka knew enough not to argue with Pete when he got like this. She crouched down to grab her pack as Roberto turned on his flashlight. H.G. was already up, sword strapped to her back

"Grab the rifle…leave everything else!" Pete barked as he took Myka's bag from her and dropped it on the ground. "Pete?´-" She was cut short by loud shuffling in the distance. Something was dragging itself on the leaf covered ground. The sound seemed to multiply and spread in a circle around them. The shuffling turned into several uneven footsteps; branches broke and bushes were being stomped on. Whatever was out there was making no effort in making their presence unknown. Myka's heart jumped to her throat when she heard an in-human grunting a few feet to her left. She grabbed Pete's forearm and pulled him back as she turned to the other two. In silent agreement they began to run, following Amaru. Myka kept her eyes on the light cast by Roberto's small flashlight, refusing to look anywhere else. Gurgled gasps, load wailings and enraged yells were coming from the jungle's depths; slowly picking up speed and gaining on them.

A shadow behind a tree to her left caused her to unholster her gun. H.G. and Pete followed suit while Amaru held up the machete he had been holding, all the while they ran. Amaru let out a sharp cry as something tackled him to the ground. His flashlight fell from his clammy hand. The agents surrounded the two figures that were struggling on the leaf covered floor; their weapons at the ready. Amaru kicked the wailing body on top of him and pushed it away. As soon as they separated, the agents opened fire which only seemed to make it angrier.

"This is not working!" Pete felt he had to point out the obvious as he kept shooting at the dark figure who once again pounced on Roberto and started gnawing on his shoulder. The rotting smell from the body attacking him caused bile to make its way to Roberto's mouth. With great effort, he placed both hands around the face that was pressed into his shoulder and felt his fingers easily dig into dry, flaky skin. A strong, bony hand was pressed into his own face, thrusting his head painfully against the ground, the pressure making him see dark spots before his eyes. His fingers tore at the putrid flesh above him to no avail. He heard metal brush against leather and then a high, whistle followed by the sound of something splintering, as if someone had split a large, piece of dry wood in half. The pressure to his head immediately ceased; the body above him falling limply, crushing his chest.

Myka grabbed the flashlight while Pete helped Roberto pull the body away from him.

"So much for old fashioned." Helena declared proudly as she extended her left hand for Roberto to take. "This seems to do the trick." She professed as she showed the woozy looking man her sword, crouching down and placing his machete back in his hand.

A shaky "thank you" was all he could manage as he applied pressure to the wound on his shoulder.

They turned to the sound of something running through the jungle...a disgusted yell followed as someone clumsily broke through the tree line, the light from their flashlight bouncing off the nearby trees. The four travelers took up defensive positions.

"Gaaah!…bug!…mutant bug!"

"Claudia?!" Myka gasped in alarm as she directed the light to the young woman who was stomping on something on the ground.

"What in the bloody hell are you doing here?" A less than thrilled H.G. questioned as she stepped closer to the Warehouse apprentice.

"Umm...What's it look like? I'm here to save you guys." She replied as her hands made their way to her hair, her fingers combing violently through the fine tresses. Helena took a small twig from the red hair and let it drop to the floor.

"Yes, I can see that." She mused sarcastically, although her lips formed an affectionate smile.

"Claudia, you shouldn't have come…what if there are more of these-these-" Pete was at a loss for words as he looked at the headless form.

Claudia's eyes opened wide in fear…"Zombies…they're zombies, Pete…and, yeah…there are definitely more of them." She breathed out as she grabbed H.G.'s arm and stepped closer to her. They turned to see a herd of deformed, rotting corpses circling them. There were dozens of them, angrily running up to the group, blocking their only escape.

/

Thanks for taking the time to read.


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